House Jasper
by Lexiimakay16
Summary: Beautiful, lovely, happy, engaged to a Greyjoy and found dead in Winterfell. The only things known about 6 year old Kaia Jasper the only heir to Titan's Bay. Her House was strong but ridiculed and mocked for their love of theatre, music and dance, but once their daughter died they had not been heard from since. Until, a young girl arrives in Winterfell claiming to be Kaia. rated M
1. Chapter 1

EPILOGUE

House Jasper was not well liked amongst the rich, but they were adored by the common and it was being proven once again to Lord Stark as he watched them arrive through the gates of Winterfell. Swirls of colour danced around as they came through the doors flipping and jumping much to the delight of all around. The Jasper's were on hours back waving and smiling at everyone they saw their clothing flamboyant with bright greens and radiant violets. Musicians, whom Ned assumed were considered of higher priority than guards, followed behind them playing happy tunes to match their energy.

The Jasper's always did like to make an entrance.

Lord Eryk Jasper rode in first his wife Amaretta following closely behind just as radiant as her husband and behind them rose six year old Kaia the same age as Robb and Jon who were watching the show with wide eyes and confused expressions.

Catelyn smiled watching them, she had always been good friends with Amaretta, House Tully being one of the only households seemingly able to bear their antics and energetic personalities but did find them to be a breathe of fresh air compared to all the houses wishing to be taken so seriously that they forgot how to enjoy life.

The music stopped and so did entertainers, the cloth they had been dancing with floated to a halt at their sides and they bowed at the small applause they received.

"Ned!" Eryk called out dismounting and rushing towards him hugging him tightly. "Thank you for hosting us for a few days, we couldn't head to the Iron islands without stopping in to see the Starks!"

Ned smiled. "It is no trouble."

"You remember my wife!" He waved Amaretta over and she smiled at him.

"My Lady." Ned greeted.

"And my daughter." Eryk's gaze went to Robb and Jon. "You boys remember my daughter don't you? She was here only two years ago, you danced with her all night as per her request didn't you?"

Robb's cheeks grew red remembering the little girl who had forced him to dance with her and play dress up, he was far too old for that now, he was six after all. "No need to be embarrassed." Eryk laughed, he looked behind him but did not seem to find what he was looking for. "Oh, where has that girl gone off to now. She's like her mother that way, far too free a spirit."

Catelyn was concerned right away. "We'll send someone to look for her, she couldn't have gotten far." She was slightly embarrassed that she hadn't seen the little girl get off her horse and disappear.

Amaretta smiled. "No need, she'll show up when she's done exploring, she never wanders too far and always seems to find us before we can find her." She clasps Cat's hand tightly and grinned. "Come

we must catch up!"

Everyone was dismissed from their duties out in the yard greeting the Jasper's and went back to their regular duties.

It wasn't until dinner that Eddard became worried, he allowed for the Jaspers time alone to settle in to their chambers and relax for a few hours before inviting them down for dinner but he had not once seen Kaia.

Her parent's were not concerned but it still left him on edge at the idea of the small girl out on her own.

"Do not worry." Eryk promised as he sat down at the table. "I should have explained more thoroughly. Kaia has a guard with her at all times, a man that she claims to hate and will continuously try to avoid

and escape from but I assure you Sir Eddmund always has sight of her."

"Sight of who?" A small voice asked. Robb, Jon and little Sansa were all startled at the noise as Kaia claimed out from under the table.

"See." Amaretta laughed. "Wherever she is," She nodded towards a guard standing by the door. "he is never too far. Kaia come sit and have dinner."

Kaia did as she was asked and took her seat next to Robb and began to eat. She was a pretty girl, and very lively, she would either be the perfect bride or a bride all men avoided Ned was sure. She was

a free spirit and had much learning to do before she would be fit to be a lady of Titan's Bay but the Jaspers had never been ones to focus on proper etiquette of their children. It showed in the odd

mannerisms of her parents and all the Lords and Ladies before them, they did not respect personal space and hugged and kissed as though everyone was family. They were loud and sang any chance

they had, they entrained the room with jokes and lines from plays they had performed throughout the years. Many houses avoided them as much as they could but they were a wealthy and powerful house despite their obnoxious personalities and focus'. Most houses that joined houses with them were the Tyrells, Tully, and many families from the reach or river lands, with a few more serious houses thrown in, the most embarrassing being a single Lannister.

"Love." Amaretta said to Kaia a few moments later. "Where did you run off to, it was rude of you to leave without saying hello to the Starks."

Kaia looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry, but I was worried Robb was going to kiss my hand again." Robb coloured again and the adults smiled.

"I thought you liked Robb, you talked about nothing other than him and how much fun you had with him last time we were here."

"I do!" She cried. "But I don't like kissing. . .it's gross." She leaned over the table so she could see Robb. "Please don't kiss me."

"I promise you he won't." Cat said still smiling.

"Okay." Kaia went back to eating not seeming to have noticed that the grownups thought her words were amusing. "Can I go now?" She asked suddenly.

"Where do you want to go?" Eryk asked her.

"I want to show Robb and Jon the lute you had made for me." She said and without warning she was up and tugging on Jon's hand. "Come on." The boys looked mortified at the idea of being around the jumping little girl.

"Kaia we are eating." Eryk said quickly.

"It's alright." Ned said nodding for the boys to go with her.

"Sansa you come to!" Kaia beamed and all four took off towards the door, Sir Eddmund not far behind them.

Amaretta turned towards the Starks. "I am so sorry. Her birthday happened while we were travelling she has been too excited about the lute—"

"It's alright." Ned promised. "She has a lot of spirit."

"Ay." Eryk agreed. "She's happy, we hope to keep it that way."

"A ball of joy she is. It is nice to have around." Cat said. And it was, Kaia was young but she had a reputation for being a joy to all around her, she was happy and lovely and lifted the spirits of those around her. She was young but Cat hoped that she never loses the life within her because it was something that was rare, a truly happy person was rare and it would be a pity for her to lose that spark within her.

"The Iron islands." Eddard said as he sat with Eryk in his chambers. The two sipped wine and had decided that two days had been long enough for them not to speak of more important manners. "Four times in four years."

"It would seem so."

"I do not mean to offend you Eryk, but what interest do the Greyjoys have with your family? And what interest could you possibly have with theirs?"

Eryk placed his cup down and leaned forwards in his seat. He was a handsome man with brown hair and large brown eyes, his bear was neatly trimmed and his smile was charming and never leaving.

"Titan's Bay and the Irons Islands are the only land that reside with houses whom have ships."

"An alliance then?"

"A wedding." Eryk corrected.

"A wedding—" Ned leaned back in his chair as he remembered that Eryk only had one living heir. "You plan to marry Kaia to his son?"

"Theon, yes." It was as if he were implying that a Stag and a Direwolf could somehow mate and produce a child. It seemed impossible, the Greyjoys were the opposite to the Jaspers in every way evident, the only similarity the two houses had were that they both did indeed rule the waters with ships.

"You think that is wise?"

"If a war comes about I do not want to be fighting within the water Ned, it is dangerous enough on land. With the Greyjoys and Jaspers alliance we would own the water. The only people that could stop each other would be the opposite house, I have spoken to Lord Greyjoy he has agreed that a sharing the waters is much more beneficial than battling for them."

"I never thought you one to marry your child for personal power, let alone some water."

Eryk laughed at that. "I do not intend to force her. Why do you think we have been there so much over the years?"

Ned nodded suddenly understanding. He was trying to create a relationship between the two children, that would hopefully turn into a courtship as they grew older and Kaia could grow to love him. "And if Kaia doesn't love him?"

Eryk shrugged. "I do not plan to force my daughter to marry anyone but if she is going learn to love someone then it will most likely be Theon. I plan to leave her with them for a few months, and then Theon will them come back to Titan's Bay with us, if she cannot love him she might still wish to be with him because they are friends."

"And if they don't?"

Eryk laughed again. "You worry too much."

Ned sighed and placed his hands on the table trying to have Eryk be serious for a few moments. "Your army could destroy the Greyjoys if war did occur, why do you feel the need to create an alliance with them? You have a great house, the Greyjoys are not the most understanding and loving people they will start a war if they feel like they need to and you will have to support them."

"And if we do not then we will fight them on the waters. We are not fighters Lord Stark but we do know that we will have to pick a battle to fight in. If the Greyjoys want to start a war that is their choice, if another house wants to start a war that is their choice as well, we are simply choosing our battles before it happens."

Eryk was right, they were not fighters. Their house words came to Ned's mind, _Masters of play, and players of war._ The Jaspers may have been fools but they were not stupid, they manipulated every war they had ever been apart of and their house had never fallen.

Ned was about to ask him if that meant he was sensing a war coming when Sir Eddmund bursting through the door, he was sweating and his face was flushed red against his blonde hair.

"Sir Eddmund?"

"I'm sorry my Lord, I was trying to. . ." He huffed in a breath. "She was running and I tried to keep up with her but she slipped through the gate and. . ."

Eryk Jasper stood up knocking his chair to the ground as he did so, for the first time since Eddard had known Eryk he saw the first wave of emotion that was not happiness pass over his face. "Where is my daughter?"

Amaretta was being held by her husband and by Catelyn stark as she attempted to stay standing. "We will find her." Catelyn promised her as the woman wailed.

"She is only six." She managed to say.

Eryk took her face in his hands and wiped away her tears his handsome face looking at her with intensity. "She is a smart girl. She is strong, you know that of her."

"Eryk she is a child!"

Eryk's tone hushed but Lord Stark could still hear him. "And you know what she can do. She is like my father, she will fight. She will protect herself as best as she can, the elements are the only thing that can harm her here."

"My entire guard is looking for her." Ned told her but it did little to ease the Jasper's anxieties, he wasn't even sure if they had heard him.

"We will find her." Eryk said releasing his wife and heading to his own horse. "I will find her or die trying."

Hours had passed and Ned was exhausted from his search for Kaia, the woods were vast and far too large for his men to cover all of it. Kaia had disappeared into the forest she had been trying to escape from Sir Eddmund's watchful eye and had done so by taking off beyond the gates and lost him in the crowd of commoners.

The town had been searched and the only other place to look was the forest, but she had yet to be found. It was growing dark and Ned both feared that she had gotten lost and believed that she had found her way back.

"Lord Stark!" A guard called as he made his way over to him on his horse. "It is getting dark my Lord we will not be able to see her if we are out much longer." Ned knew this but did not want to admit it.

Not finding her before dark did not seem like an option but it was unlikely that she had managed to make it this far into the forest without being found.

"Lord Stark!" Another voice called out. He steered his horse to the voice and saw a torch lit a few hundred yards away. He followed its light but stopped a few feet away when he saw what the light was illuminating.

Blood, frozen from the cold clung to the white snow and the shredded remains of a purple dress, the same colour Kaia had been wearing that morning.

"There's also this Mi'lord." the squire breathed, there was a clump of hair frozen to the ground, resting next to where the squire had vomited at the sight of the blood, in a shaking hand he held a shoe, the foot still inside and tooth of direwolf embedded in the flesh.


	2. Chapter 2

The rain fell in Winterfell in thick droplets that blinded the men as they rode their horses home, back to the castle. Robb had already been cursing Theon since the rain had started, claiming that it was his fault that they were caught in the rain.

Theon reminded him that the castle was still a fifteen minute ride away and that had they taken _his _way back they would have gotten caught in the rain anyways.

Jon ignored their arguing, he was focused on seeing ahead of him but the rain was so thick, the mist so dense and the fog so thick it was almost impossible to know which way they were going.

They came to the top of a hill and tried to see where they were but they were blinded by the harsh rain.

"I think we're lost." Jon called out to Robb and Theon.

"WHAT!?" Robb yelled back at him. Jon ignored him and turned his body to look at his surroundings but everywhere he looked it was nothing but a blur of colours and textures.

"We need to get out of this rain! We'll freeze out here!" Robb said nodding to the small figure sitting in front of him. Bran had demanded to go with the boys on their ride, and they had a hard time telling him no. Bran was not happy with the idea of not being able to ride his own horse and having to ride with Robb but it was the only way he was allowed to go with them, they didn't want their little brother getting lost on his horse like he had many times before.

"We'll be in even more trouble if we can't find our way back!" Jon told him.

"It doesn't matter which way we go, we will come across something, we just need to keep moving!" Theon said, the men looked at one another, blinking away drops of rain as they waited for the others to make a choice.

It was Theon who was the first to break and took off in the direction they had originally been heading. It was his idea to take a short cut and he was not about to make Robb think that he was regretting his decision but he was. The short cut he had only taken a few times and it was only remembered with landmarks and now he was having trouble seeing ten feet in front of him.

The men rode hard and fast their horses dodged trees and rocks as best as they could but the four boys continually were struck in the face by low branches. Robb has his body hovering over Bran to try and protect his young face but the odd one caught him in the forehead or the ear.

Their clothing was soaked and it was cold. It was always cold in Winterfell and all three men were starting to wonder when their clothing would start to betray them and make them colder than the snow could have.

They rode close to one another out of fear of losing each other but it deemed a troublesome thing as Theon's horse became spooked and came to a halt. Jon's horse didn't have time to stop as it rammed into Theon's terrified stallion and both horses and riders went crashing to the ground. Robb's horse stopped in time, avoiding becoming part of the heap that lay before him, he jumped down telling Bran to join him in case the horse got spooked itself and took off into the forest.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He asked helping Theon and Jon to their feet as their horses tried to stand as well.

"I'm alright." The two said in unison.

"My horse, it saw something. I think it was a wolf, or maybe a deer." Theon tried to explain.

"What kind of animal would be out in this?"

The men looked around trying to see if there was any trace of animal tracks but the rain hitting the mud left no trace of anything, no footprints, no tracks, and no disturbed earth.

Animals took shelter in storms, they would have all taken off long before the boys knew the rain was coming, they doubted it was an animal but they hoped that it was just some poor animal that had gotten caught in the downpour and was trying to find shelter, even more so they hoped that it was gone.

"Well, no point in worrying about it now." Jon said. "Let's-" His words were cut short by the scream of a fifth and unknown voice coming behind him. From the fog emerged a man, arm high an axe clutched in his fist. Jon reacted quickly, his sword blocking the blow of the man and he pushed him away. Two more came from mist yelling and yielding weapons. Robb pushed Bran away and behind him so harshly that the boy fell to the ground.

Within seconds each boy was fighting their own assassin the surprise of the attack was beneficial to the attackers, they were overpowering them quickly Theon and Robb both dancing away from their attackers as they tried to get their swords from their belts. Jon struggled with the older and much more experienced fighter, all men were being blinded by the rain but the attacker continued to swing their weapons as if they didn't have any impairment in their vision.

Theon finally managed to get his sword out of his scabbard when the mans face became expressionless. His eyes glassed over and with his hands still above his head gripping his sword he fell into the earth, a knife sticking out of the back of his head.

"What. . ." Theon looked to see that Jon's rival had fallen as well, and he was now rushing to help Robb. Before he could reach him though, the attacker fell, the handle of a knife sticking out of the back of his neck as he twitched and choked on blood and mud on the ground.

"What happened?" Robb asked looking for answers from his brother and his friend. The boys looked at one another waiting for someone to admit to saving them but no one could take the credit. None of

the boys carried knives with them, not ones with black and silver handles.

"Bran?" Jon called suddenly realizing they were missing a vital part of their party. "Bran!" The rain was still falling heavily but Bran had only fallen a few feet away, surely he wouldn't have run away far

from them. Robb looked to where he had pushed Bran and saw a indented piece of earth but Bran was not there.

"Bran!" Theon called out into the fog, the sound of rain was what met his call.

"Bran!" Robb tried, this time a voice called out.

"Robb! Jon!" The voice was travelling closer, the voice was not frightened nor strangled it was relieved. Within a few seconds they could see a small figure coming towards them and all three visibly relaxed, but it was short lived as they saw a second figure following behind him.

"Bran!" Jon called out again sword at the ready.

"Jon, I'm okay." Bran rushed towards them giving Robb a hug but he was quickly pushed behind him once again at the sight of another person. "Hey!"

All three boys took a step towards the figure. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" The body said to them backing away from their approaching bodies.

The figure was hooded, dressed in black heavy robes. "Stop!" Bran urged them. "Stop, she helped me!"

The men had stopped in their tracks and looked back at Bran. "She?" Robb questioned and received a nod from his little brother.

"Yes. _She_." Bran snapped at them. The figure moved closer to them and lifted her hood, it was true it was a woman. Her hair was matted and sticking to her dirt and blood smeared face, her clothing was thick and oversized and did nothing to alert anyone that she was a woman, but indeed from the features they could make out on her face, it was a woman.

"Who are you?" Theon demanded keeping his sword at the ready.

"I just saved your lives." The woman said. "That is who I am, the person who saved your life." She was panting as if she had ran for sixty miles.

"Who were these men?" Robb asked.

She shrugged. "People who wanted to steal your horses."

"We owe you our lives." Jon told her, it was an honour, an honour to have someone of higher birth acknowledge your bravery, to have someone with power in your debt, but the woman looked worried and shook her head.

"No you don't." She said quickly.

Robb lowered his sword and stepped forwards. "Do you know the way to Winterfell? If so you will come with us, we will give you a bed for the night, a meal. To say thank-"

"It's that way." She snapped pointing in the direction they had been going, Theon wanted to tell Robb that he told him so, that he told him he knew were he was going but he kept his mouth shut and eyes focused on the woman. "But I will not. . . I will not be going with you."

"Surely-"

"Enough!" She gasped for breath, her hand falling to her stomach as her posture fell and she was hunched over. "I told you. . . I" She swallowed. "I am not going with you. You can leave now." Her eyes were glassy and as she tried to turn away from the men her legs wobbled, her left caught her right heel and she fell to the ground in a heap.

Bran pushed past his brothers and to the side of the woman in the dirt. "She's hurt!"

"Leave her. We need to get back." Theon said.

All three brothers glared at him. "Leave her? She saved our lives." Robb yelled at him.

"And she didn't want to come with us. You're going to kidnap her now?"

Bran looked at the girl and then turned back to his brothers. "She's asleep."

Robb and Jon did not give Theon the chance to argue with them, they picked up her body carefully and placed her on the back of Jon's horse.

Robb saw the look on Theon's face, a disapproving look that indicated he was not happy with the idea of bringing the girl back to the castle.

"She's hurt Theon." Robb said walking towards his own horse. "She saved our lives, we save her's debt repaid."

Theon again kept his mouth closed as he mounted his own horse and took off in search yet again for Winterfell. He didn't bother mentioning that the fact that she was there might be a sign that she was with the attackers before then.

"And then Robb pushed me away, and they were all fighting and this woman pulled me up by my shoulders and pulled me away. She told me she wasn't going to hurt me and then she pulled out these knives, and she started throwing them-"

"Bran!" Ned Stark interrupted his son. "Breathe, take a breath and slow down."

Bran did as instructed and sucked in the breath that he was not getting speaking so quickly. Ned looked to the other three boys in the room. "All this is true?"

"I'm not lying!" Bran defended.

"It is." Robb nodded. "She saved our lives."

"And your first action was to bring her here?" Again Robb nodded. "Because she is wounded?"

"The maester is already looking after her-"

Ned stood from his seat silencing his son. "Robb this woman was in the forest when these men attacked you. She was with them when they attacked you, you let a criminal into our home, one that is not afraid to kill someone."

Jon spoke up then. "It's not like that, she's been harmed, she killed them."

"Maybe it was her plan, maybe she saw who Bran was and decided she wanted everything for herself." Ned was walking past the boys and to the door.

All three were starting to worry that they had made a huge mistake, they followed Eddard down the hall and towards the chambers they had placed the woman in.

"She was unconcious-"

"A rouse." Theon spat as he followed behind them. "I knew we shouldn't have brought her here." He was convinced, the woman had planned it, they did not check her for an injury, they did not assess her to see if she had been tricking them, they picked her up and brought her into the walls of Winterfell. They idiotic and they should have listened to him.

They walked down the hallway, and in a very out of character move, Eddard stormed into the room without knocking. Maester Luwin stood up frightened at the sound of the door bursting knocking.

"My Lord! Forgive me, but I am doing delicate work." All five of the intruders looked towards the bed where the girl was laying, motionless and stomach bare. There was a two inch laceration that was half

sewn and raw. Luwin's eyes followed their gaze. "She was stabbed Mi'lord, we're lucky she came here when she did, I don't know how much longer she would have had."

"She's asleep?"

"She fainted from the pain." Luwin confirmed.

Eddard looked confused and slightly embarrassed as he looked at the girl laying on the bed, she was still covered in dirt and was in horrible condition. "Could she have stabbed herself?"

He looked confused by the question but nodded. "I suppose, but inflicting an injury to the abdomen like this, it's odd unless the person is trying to die, I've seen them stab their leg most of the time when trying to imitate an attack."

"She didn't stab herself when I was with her." Bran urged. All five men didn't seem to realize he was in the room.

Robb quickly escorted Bran out of the room much to his complaints, he wanted to see the wound, he wanted to see if she was okay.

"My Lord." Luewin said getting the attention back to him. "I understand that you must be concerned. But this girl, even if she wanted to, is in no condition to be causing any trouble." He paused to clear his throat. "She did save their lives."

"We could have handled them just fine!" Theon argued but was ignored by the others in the room.

Ned looked at the girl once more, she was muddy and glistening with sweat, she had been travelling for a long time that much was certain, and she was injured. . . he worried for his family but the Maester was right, there was no sense worrying about her yet. A wounded girl was not going to harm them.

"Have a guard outside her rooms at all time, once she awakens come find me immediately." He said before taking off and out the door, Theon and Jon followed him.

She was awake. One day later and she was awake.

Ned was once again being followed by Robb, Jon and Theon, he had wanted the boys there to witness his interactions with the girl and Theon was never excluded from anything he did with the boys so he included him. Besides Theon seemed to be the only one wary of the girls intention inside the castle.

Ned knocked this time and entered the room to see the girl, still grimy with dirt and blood, her stomach wrapped in cloth and wearing a thin plain shirt and the same pants she had been wearing when she arrived. She sat on the side of the bed glaring at the group when they entered her room.

"Are you the one keeping me prisoner here?" She sneered at him.

If he was surprised by her harshness Ned didn't show it. "You are not a prisoner." He told her.

Her glare remained steady. "I just tried to leave and the man outside would not let me."

"I wanted to speak with you first."

"And now that you have, may I leave?"

Ned took a breath and shook his head. "No you may not. I have some questions for you that I need answered."

"I told your sons that I didn't want to come here and they brought me anyways."

Robb stepped forwards. "Would you have preferred we let you die in the forest? We saved you life."

"And I saved yours." She drawled. "I killed three men to save four lives and you carried me to a place I told you I didn't want to go. Do you expect me to be grateful?"

She sparked all three of the boys anger. "You would have frozen out there."

"And you would have had your hearts cut out and eaten over a fire. I don't hear you being grateful to me so do not expect me to be grateful to you. An eye for an eye, you consider the debt repaid? Fine, but all I asked from you was to let me leave and even now you are denying it to me."

Ned placed a hand on Robb shoulder telling him to let him handle the outspoken girl.

"Why were you there?" Ned asked. "Why did you kill those men? How did you become injured?"

She looked at each of the boys seeming to remember their faces. "Where is the boy?"

"Answer my questions."

She sighed. "You almost hit them with your horse while riding. You almost hit all of us. The three of them wanted to steal your horses, I was against it, I tried to stop them, one stabbed me and then they proceeded to attack you."

"Why were you with them?"

Her eyes travelled over all four men in the room while she seemed to decide whether or not to tell them. "Travelling in numbers is stronger than travelling alone. I met them in a brothel and paid them to travel with me until I reached the Twins." At the look on their faces she rolled her eyes and corrected herself. "I'm not a whore. The brothel was the only place serving wine and food that didn't turn me away. The men I met were fine people but they were just greedier than I expected. It didn't seem right for them to attack people who were just as lost as we were in that storm."

Ned didn't know whether to believe her or not. "Where were you going?"

She looked at him with a blank stare. "I told you I was going to the Twins."

"You said that you wanted them to escort you to the Twins. Where were you going beyond that?" The girl stared at Lord Stark she was grimy with dirt and her expressions seemed to be masked by the layer of filth on her at her lack of response he added. "It would be wise of you to tell the truth, no matter where you are headed I will not let you leave until I have alerted the Lords of that land that you are on your way."

"I was going to Titans Bay. I am headed for house Jasper."

There was a snort of laughter that came from the three boys as they tried to keep their composure. House Jasper was not a well respected house, they were large and strong and had one of the biggest armies in all of Westeros, but their passions lied within the art of music and song, poetry and plays. They made the Tyrells look like brooding warriors compared to them.

Their army although large was also very weak, they did not specialize in battle strategy nor did they do well in tournaments, instead they were a very peaceful and powerful family. Well liked by everyone and adored by their people, they were entertainers, fools and charmers. Their parties and weddings had no competition in extravagance, they were bright, beautiful and unforgettable events people talked

about for years, things bards wrote songs about. Even their funerals were events that left houses feeling jealous and of lower standing compared to them.

"Why would you be looking for them?" Ned asked.

"Does it matter?"

"It does." He said.

She rolled her eyes. "Can I leave or not?"

"No. I need to know who you are."

"Why?" She demanded. "Let me go and I will be of no more concern to you."

"I cannot let you go because without knowing I could be setting free a criminal to travel to Titans Bay. If you are an innocent then I am willingly allowing an injured woman who saved my sons to venture out into the cold to die."

"It's also what she wants." She sneered at him.

"If you refuse to tell me who you are then I will assume the worst and hold you hostage until you can answer for your crimes."

"You can't sentence me for crimes you don't know I have done."

"You killed three men with knives you are clearly skilled in assassination, and I had my men return to those bodies you killed, the heads of those men were recognized as thieves and rapists, and you were with them. Whether or not your story is true I don't care, I am to assume you are lying and I will keep you here until I can determine the crimes you have committed. You're willing to die but you are not willing to be kept hostage."

She was angry with him, her body was radiating with rage as she glared at the Lord of Winterfell. Finally her teeth unclenched and she spoke. "Lord Stark." She spat. "Honourable Lord Eddard Stark warden of the North where everything is as it should be, your house never disturbed your family intact and yet on your own lands a little girl was sold and you called off the search party and banished my parents from your home."

There was coldness to her voice and a fire in her eyes that had the boys both confused and terrified. Eddard remained calm, looking at the girl and trying to place her anger in an appropriate place but couldn't. Had she been some commoners daughter that he had made answer for their crimes? Had she been someones wife and was denied entry into Winterfell? He didn't know.

Theon, unable to hold his tongue no longer spoke up. "You would be wise to speak to a Lord with respect."

Her glare turned to him. "And you would be wise to show a Lady _any_ respect." She shot back at him.

Ned took a step forwards asserting his dominance over the girl. "Who are you?"

She looked at him for a long moment, battling with herself over whether or not to tell a lie. She stood from the bed refusing to wince at the pain that went through her body as she did so and stood opposite Lord Eddard Stark. "I am Kaia Jasper, first and only daughter or Eryk and Amaretta Jasper. Heir to Titans Bay."

There was a sickening twist in Ned's stomach.

A silence stretched out throughout the room as they absorbed what she had said, the three boys looked at one another confused and unbelieving.

"Prove it." Theon suddenly said.

Her annoyance turned to him. "How do you expect me to do that?"

"Kaia Jasper is dead." Ned stated.

"Then how am I here?"

"Forgive us, there have been many in the past that claimed to be Kaia, attempting to claim her families money, title and adoration. But she was eaten by wolves."

"_Direwolves_." She spat. "Yes I know the story, it's not what happened. She wasn't killed. . .I wasn't killed." She seemed frantic now, she needed them to believe her. "My family was betrayed, Sir Eddmund, he sold me to bandits, outlaws, criminals whatever you want to call them. He took my clothes and dipped them in blood and let my family find them." At their unbelieving stares she added. "I'm telling you the truth."

"He sold you?"

"The bandits, they wanted someone small, that could climb trees, climb roofs without them caving in, a girl so it was easier to persuade others to let me into their homes, I fit through windows. . ." she shook her head. "it doesn't matter, yes he sold me."

"Why would he-"

"Money? Power? I don't know." She took a deep breath. "There are many scenarios I run through my mind every day as to why he did it. One of them being that _you _planned it to harm my family. It's why I didn't want come here. So if it's true and you did tell sir Eddmund to get rid of me then I suggest you kill me while you still have the chance."

Ned Stark was surprised by her outburst, the incident did put a small strain on the Jasper's and Stark's relationship. House Jasper had been visiting for a few days while they prepared to go to the Iron Islands, Kaia had disappeared for the day, Sir Eddmund went out to find her when they noticed she had been missing for far too long, they returned with her blood soaked clothing and a Direwolf tooth.

"I ordered no such thing." Ned promised her.

Theon hearing the story couldn't remain quiet any longer. "Why didn't you escape? Why did you wait ten years to come back then?" He was challenging her, accusing her of lying or worse, not trying.

"And what would you have me do?" She snapped at him. "I was six when I was sold. Six years old and I spent the first year of my captivity in chains, chained to a horse, drinking water that fell from the horses mouth and eating whatever was left. I relied on those men for everything, to sleep, to eat, to relieve myself. If they found me trying to escape they beat me, if I disobeyed they beat me, if I failed they beat me. I told people who I was and no one believed me. There was no reward for my return, when I told people who I was they spit in my face and called me a liar."

They listened intently to her becoming more and more uncomfortable with her words as she continued to yell at them. "When they finally trusted me enough to take the chains off I had no where to go, we were farther than I had ever been in my life, I didn't know how to survive on my own. I finally discovered that everyone thought I was dead because the men I was with were drunk and tormenting me with the thoughts that no one was looking for me, that Sir Eddmund had sold me because my _parents_ wanted me gone, that they faked my death so the world would mourn and never suspect them."

Ned doubted it, the Jasper's were warm hearted people that preached unconditional love and whose entire life revolved around their family. He remembered Kaia as a little six year old girl who spoke to everyone as if she had known them all her life, and sang to Baby Arya and tried to make Robb and Jon dance with her no matter how many times they ran and hid behind their mother or complained to their father. She was full of life and her parents pride and joy, they had never once even yelled at her according to their squires, they could never condemn her to a life of torment.

He also remembered when her clothing was brought to them, her dress had been a present for her name day that had just passed, torn, frozen and covered in blood. The Jasper's may have been acting, their family enjoyed plays so much that they contributed in them many times but Ned knew what true sorrow looked like and Lyndon and Amaretta cried for days, they wailed and locked themselves away in their rooms refusing to speak to anyone. It was also the first time anyone had seen the two lash out in anger, they broke dishes and threw their cups at the walls. They refused to eat and screamed at their hand maids for urging them to.

No, the Jaspers could not have done it. He was sure of it.

"If you are who you say you are." Ned started. "Then I will have a raven sent to your family informing them-"

"No!" She said stepping forwards, wincing at the pain in her stomach as she did so. "You can't, there are traitors in those walls. I don't know what they would do if they thought I was alive, they might send someone out to kill me, besides like you said so many people have attempted to claim they were me and if the stories are true every single one died at the hands of the guard for pretending to be me.

They have to see me, they won't just take your word for it even if you are Lord Eddard Stark." She looked at all four men in the room. "Please just let me go to them."

There was a struggle within him, if she was lying then she was the best actress he had ever seen in his life and he couldn't let her go to the Jasper's and possibly have them believe her and ruin them. But if she was telling the truth then he was required to protect her, he couldn't let her run off and risk being killed during her travels.

"You know I can't let you leave." Ned told her. "Whether or not you are telling the truth. Until we are sure who you are, until we can plan a meeting with the Jaspers, and until you are healthy you will stay here."

She was both angry and upset, her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes watered. "I've been away from home for ten years and you won't let me go back."

"If you are who you say you are, you will go back, but for now you will be safe. I will not keep you in the dungeon, no one shall harm you and you will be a guest in our home. If there is any trouble or attempt at escape these arrangements will change drastically do you understand? For the time being I will believe your story, do not give me reason to not trust you."

She nodded sitting back down on the bed and gently touching where she was bandaged beneath her shirt. "We'll have some water brought up." Jon said suddenly. "So you can wash."

She didn't say anything to them as Ned explained that he would have some clothing brought to her and that dinner would be served in the dining hall with his family, and that a hand maid would be sent to her to help her with anything she needed.

They left the room without a word being spoken from her lips, Ned dismissed the questions coming from his son's and Theon, he marched to his quarters wondering what kind of test the Gods were sending him.


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you think she's telling the truth?" Robb asked as the three boys sat at the table within his room. "Do you think she really is Kaia Jasper?"

Jon shrugged. "How could anyone know for sure?"

"I remember Kaia." Robb added. "Do you?"

Jon and Theon both nodded. "Her family and mine used to be strong allies before they betrayed us." Theon spat.

"She was dead before that all happened Theon, you can't blame her for what her family did." But Theon was bitter and did not pay any attention to Robb's words.

"She used to visit us when I was young, my father hated how foolish they were, singing, their flamboyant outfits, their constant cheer. . . It was an embarrassing spectacle they made of themselves, the things they found important. . ."

"If your father hated them so much then why were you allies?" Theon shrugged, he remembered the Jasper's constantly pissing off his father and how much he sneered and complained about their presence both to their faces and behind them. Theon did remember Kaia vaguely, she was as outspoken and lovely as her parents were, Theon wasn't allowed to speak to her without his father present and when he did speak to her he found himself too shy to say anything other than 'Hello" and "Mi'lady."

"Six years old. . ." Jon thought aloud. "She is was a year older than Rickon! How could a six year old be such a threat that they needed to rid of her?"

Neither Theon nor Robb knew the answer to his question.

Theon was intrigued, he was skeptical but intrigued, the girl a few doors down the hall was a mess, covered in mud and blood and spoke improperly. He found it almost impossible to believe that a _lady_, was in the state that she was, she did not look like the daughter of a great lord nor did she speak like one and it was more puzzling that she wouldn't be attempting to stay in the castle where she could live the life she used to have of luxury.

"Her story is impossible." Theon decided. "A six year old _girl _surviving in the woods, alone—"

"She wasn't alone." Jon reminded him.

"Who knows if she's even telling the truth!" Theon exclaimed. "The story is ridiculous a _six year old_ sold to bandits and held captive for ten years and only now returns? She is probably just another impostor trying to claim her families money."

Robb nodded. "That is also possible."

Theon looked incredulously at his friend. "Don't tell me that you believe her!"

Robb narrowed his eyes at Theon. "I don't know what to believe but I do know that if she _is _telling the truth then we can not let her go out into the forest to possibly suffer the fate we thought she already had. The Jsspers may have isolated themselves but they are still a powerful house if there was a possibility that their daughter was alive and we let her let her leave and die they would be furious with us."

"The Jaspers are idiots!"

"Idiots, with the largest army Westerns has. They have made it very clear that they would like to deal with anyone claiming to be Kaia we must give them that courtesy." Theon slumped into a chair annoyed and frustrated at the situation. He was convinced that the girl was lying and it was only going to cause chaos, no one had claimed to be Kaia Jasper in almost four years but in those six years previous almost one hundred girls went to Titans Bay claiming to be her and all suffered from the same final consequence. In those six years the Jaspers were angry and moody with each failing girl trying to prove she was Kaia and they fell deeper and deeper into depression.

No one had spoken to them personally in the past four years and they had almost been forgotten.

Her timing was terrible if she was trying to fool the Jaspers, ten years was hardly an appropriate amount of time to wait but if she suddenly found herself without anything valuable to her name then even a desperate person would try it.

"Your father is making a foolish mistake."

"My father is a Lord." Jon snapped back at Theon. "I would think his choices make better sense than yours."

Theon glared at Ned Starks bastard son. "I will be a Lord one day, you will always be a bastard. Whose opinions matter more?"

"Stop." Robb said growing annoyed with Jon and Theon's constant bickering as of late.

Theon stood from the table his ego bruised and his temper flaring, he headed for the door and had his hand on the handle when Robb spoke again. "Where are you going?"

Theon didn't answer him, he was too angry with being undermined again, he was the Starks hostage, he knew that but he was still to be a Lord, he was an heir and he would rule over Pyke one day he would like to think that his opinions mattered especially when it came to someone posing as Kaia Jasper.

He vaguely remembered Kaia, it was a long time ago and plenty more things had happened to take his mind over but he did remember her, and he had liked her.

From what he remembered about meeting her was that she was nice, nice was something foreign to his own family. Of course the Jaspers made spectacle of themselves and it was humiliating but Kaia had been a little girl that was nice and full of energy. She was one of only children of a Lord that he had ever met and although his father had been very strict about the his interaction with her, he did like having her around. When he had found out she had died he didn't feel much, he hadn't been old enough to truly understand what death was, he just knew that he was never going to see her again and it had made him sad.

Many things could be said about Kaia Jasper, but everyone seemed to agree on the same thing, she did not deserve what happened to her. It angered Theon that the girl was pretending to be her, it had bothered him more than he cared to admit and he was going to prove that she was lying.

"I want her out of here!" Catelyn Stark demanded from her husband inside their chambers before dinner.

"Cat—"

"Get her out of this house now!" She raged. Ned held her by the shoulder as she heaved to catch her breath.

"You know I can't do that."

"You also know that she cannot be telling the truth, Kaia is dead! Why can't people just let her memory live on in peace? Let her body rest in peace? She was a little girl and her family deserves to have

closure with her death!"

Ned pulled her into her arms and stroked her back slowly. He had known Cat loved Kaia very much, she had held her as a baby and had played with her as a child and had broke a bit inside when news of her death came. The child had been innocent and it had been devastating news for everyone but the situation could not be improved and Cat had to watch her friend break and disappear.

"She _could _be telling the truth." Ned whispered to her. "And because of that possibility I can't just let her leave."

"It's not possible." Cat breathed into his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and held her at arms length. "No matter what the truth is, I cannot let her leave these grounds. I will figure out a way to get her to Titans Bay and I will do everything I can to discover who she truly is before that but for now, we must be cautious as if we do not believe her but treat her as if we do."

Catelyn was not happy, she couldn't be happy about the situation but she did understand. _If_ she was telling the truth it was a joyous and happy occasion but if she wasn't it was despicable. She had accepted Kaia's death long before her parents did and it had hurt Cat to see the pain her parents went through with each year that passed until they completely isolated themselves.

"I want to speak with her."

Ned sighed and moved to put on his cloak. "You will, at supper."

"Supper? She is to dine with us?" She asked incredulously.

"Like I said we are treat her as if she is telling the truth. The only way we will know for sure is to question her and be around her. Having her isolated in her room is not going to give us the answers we need."

"I don't want her around my children."

"She is not going to harm anyone, if she wanted to do that she would have done so in the forest."

Cat was still not happy but moved about the room readying herself to eat anyways. She did not want to see the girl, the thought repulsed her but she knew that her husband was right and as much as she didn't want to believe it, there was a small part of her that had hope that Kaia might actually be alive.

Dinner was served in the hall and despite the food growing cold, they waited. They waited for their guest to come down from her room and join them, it was exceptionally rude for her to keep them waiting but Ned had assured them that she probably wasn't trying to keep them waiting, that she just must be having trouble getting dressed or she gave a fuss about having to be escorted.

When the door opened everyone turned, Lady Caetlyn and Ned stood as the guard came into the room the girl following closely behind.

Theon wasn't sure if his heart stopped or had lurched out of his chest all together, the girl who had been grimy with dirt was now spotlessly clean. Her hair was a dark brown falling in waves around her face. It was not as long as most women's hair was, falling just below her shoulders, she wore a green dress that Theon knew had been made for Lady Catelyn but it was too small for her after giving birth to Rickon and she had hoped one day she would give it to Sansa.

She had the Jasper thin frame and the Jasper brown eyes but from what Theon remembered she did not look like her mother nor her father, which would make her claim harder to believe. But none the less, she was beautiful.

They did notice that although she looked the part of a Lady she was uncomfortable, she pulled at the sleeves of her dress either from nerves or from annoyance, they weren't sure.

Caetlyn looked at her husband, she too was confused about what to think of the girl and she had pleaded with Ned to just let her go and take her chances out in the world but she was also torn, she had loved Kaia when she was a little girl and was friends with her mother Amaretta, she would have done anything for that child.

"I'm sorry." The girl said walking over to her seat across from Theon. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting."

They sat together and her apologizes where dismissed and together they all began to eat, she ate carefully as if trying not to offend anyone but she also at quickly, they could tell that she had obviously been starving in her travels and had not had a proper meal in a long time.

"So how many people did you steal from?" Arya asked, her young mind not able to keep her from asking all the questions she was thinking.

"Arya." Her mother scolded.

"Did you have to kill those men to get free?" She asked excitedly.

"Arya enough!" Catelynn reprimanded her youngest daughter, she was about to apologize but the girl was smiling at her.

"No." She told her. "I didn't have to kill them, someone else did that for me."

"I don't believe such discussions are appropriate for the dinner table."

"Lady Stark." She answered boldly. "I understand that my story sounds impossible, but you will never trust me nor be able to believe me if I do not share everything that happened. You have questions for me and I have answers, I do not wish to frighten your children but it may be best if everyone were to just ask the questions they wish to know from me. Eating in an awkward silence as you all develop your own false opinion of me without knowing me is far worse in my opinion."

"In _your_ opinion." She replied coldly.

"I'm not afraid or ashamed of what happened to me, it was a horrid life but it's the life I lived. You can ask, I will answer."

The Starks looked at one another, they had tried to shelter their children from the horror of the world in the North, it was fair to say they had tried to keep them all safe but they did not lie to their children.

Their innocence was important but innocence was not worth much in their world.

Cat was the first to sigh and nod in agreement. "Fine how is it that we know you're not lying?"

She shrugged. "You don't, but ten years is quite a long time, the longer you wait the more unwilling everyone is to believe you. I am past my sixteenth name day I don't look anything like I did when I was seven years old, and I know that my family will have doubts, but I have to try. I just want to be back to where I belong, and if my family does not believe me then it's not where I need to be anymore, but I have to try."

"How did you escape then?"

"I didn't really escape." She said. "After three years with the men who I was sold to, they attempted to steal a ship. I was taken hostage and they were drowned in the sea."

"Rickon, Bran and Arya should not hear such things." Ned placed a hand on his wife's arm.

The girl had the decency to look embarrassed as she glanced at the small children around her, she and been Rickon's age when she was given to the men who held her captive and she felt terrible that she might have infilled that fear in the small boy.

"I'm sorry." She answered looking down at her plate. "You are right. After we eat and the children have been dismissed, I will answer any questions you have."

Ned Stark shook his head. "No. You will tell us all here, I do not want my children thinking more or less of you, they need to know what happened to you and therefore why we are having trouble believing you. They know what happened to Kaia Jasper in the woods. You may tell your story but I ask that you keep vulgar details to yourself."

The girl looked at the children and then to Ned Stark who seemed just as wise and kind as she remembered. He did have a cold edge to him that she knew was there because he did not trust her, and she did not blame him for that."

"Sir Eddmund sold me to seven men who wanted me so they could steal and manipulate people more easily. It is simpler to do so when you have a young girl playing along."

Cat sat a little straighter. "And why did Sir Eddmund betray your family?"

"I do not know Lady Stark." She admitted. "He did not say, and the men who held me hostage told me many stories as to why and I do not know if any of them were true." She paused to take a bite of food. "From what I understand from what I have heard I was sold seven hours before the search for me began. He took the dress from my body and I assumed used it to fake my death."

"There was a foot." Theon said suddenly. "There was a foot with your shoe still on it."

She looked confused for a moment. "I don't know where he got the foot from." She admitted. "But Sir Eddmund was also a Maester, my father had demanded that I have someone with a knowledge of medicine with me in case I ever became hurt. He was around many sick people and many bodies. He could have gotten it from anywhere."

"So why did you wait to come back? Did you never try to escape?" He was accusing her of something but he didn't know what just yet.

She remained calm. "I did, many times. But I failed every time. The first year of my captivity I was chained to a horse my feet chained together so I couldn't even try to ride the horse to get free. After than we were so far away I didn't know where we were nor where I could even go."

"Then how did you escape?" Catelyn asked her.

"I moved from hostage, to slave, to deckhand, to crew. I gained enough respect and trust that I was no longer watched and I was given my freedom to follow them where they went, I was leader of my own ship in a fleet. When docked you were given the choice to either get on the boat or to stay ashore. A few men wanted to return home to their families and I stayed on shore with them, we weren't going back to Titan's Bay and I chose to make the journey on foot."

"They just let you leave?" She asked unbelieving.

She nodded. "Lady Stark you must understand no one knew who I was, I didn't speak my name for almost ten years before I came here. I was nothing to anyone, but when men own you they are very unwilling to let you go, when I was their slave they never took their eyes off of me, once I was part of their crew no one cared anymore what it was I did. They have plenty of crew, they have limited slaves, they were surprised I didn't do it earlier."

"Why didn't you?"

She looked as if the older woman had slapped her. "I will say once again Lady Stark that I was held a captive for ten years, I did not speak my name, the name I once held was beaten out of me and I lived as someone else. I had to adapt to my surroundings in order to survive, once I had the freedom to leave. . . it was too hard to do so. For the first time in a very long time I was given the chance to live freely and I no longer knew how to do that. A captive was the life I knew, pain and suffering was the life I knew, being humiliated and betrayed was the life I knew. I had to find the pieces of me that had broken away before I could even think about going back home. I didn't even know if I had a home to go to."

"Then why did you chose to go then?"

She straightened in her chair. "Because it was time My Lady. There was still part of me left and I knew once we docked, that if I got back on that boat I would lose myself completely."

Sansa who had been quiet the entire time finally managed enough courage to speak up. "What did they call you?" She whispered.

"Pardon?"

She cleared her throat. "You said you didn't speak your name, what did they call you?"

"Well," She began her tone much softer speaking to the young girl. "my first captors referred to me as Rat for a little while . . .they had quite a few names for me, names I consider too vulgar to mention but they never really stuck with one name. Then when on the ship they never asked me what my name was until I was working for them as a slave and one of the men was watching me as I brought up a net of fish to cook for dinner when I noticed a squid had been caught in the batch. When I pulled it out of the net it squirted me with ink right in the middle of my face. I was called Squid for the rest of my time with them."

Arya, Bran and Rickon all laughed at her story, Robb and Jon snickered and even Catelynn cracked a small smile.

She smiled at them catching the eye of Theon before awkwardly picking up her fork and beginning to eat.

"You may call me what you wish." She said swallowing. "I don't mind either way."

"Well, I don't believe Rat and Squid are the most appropriate things to call you." Catelynn said seeming to relax a little bit.

"And I am sorry, what would you like me to call all of you?" She turned to Robb and Jon who sat across from her. "I do remember Robb and Jon, and Sansa you were three I believe, Arya was a baby. . .?"

She trailed off not knowing Bran and Rickon's names.

"I'm Bran." He said smiling at her.

"And this is Rickon." Ned said patting the young boy on the head.

She smiled at them. "It's nice to meet you." Her gaze fell on Theon. "Your name?"

Theon was slightly insulted, she had visited him many times when she was younger, even stayed at his home for four months once. He wanted to believe that the fact that it had been ten years and he must look different was the reason she didn't know who he was, but he was a Greyjoy. Surely she _must _know who he was.

But she didn't he was a stranger to her had she hadn't recognized Robb and Jon either until they took her to Winterfell and she came the realization that that was who they were.

"Theon Greyjoy." The fork she had been holding slipped from her hand and his her plate loudly, eyes widened she stared at him mouth slightly gape. "What?" he demanded.

"Greyjoy." She repeated his name, voice barely a whisper.

He looked around the table to see if anyone could make sense of the sudden tension in the air.

"What is it my dear?" Ned asked her.

"I-I just didn't expect to see him here. . I mean— I used to see you all the time as a child. Forgive me, I was not expecting—"

"Do not lie to us child." Ned told her.

She looked at everyone's faces before her gaze set back on Theon's. "The man who kept me hostage on the ship. He was. . . well his name. . ." She sighed, collecting her thought she glanced down at her plate and then lifted her eyes back to Theon, her voice much stronger. "It was Euron Greyjoy."


	4. Chapter 4

Inside Ned's chambers the girl stood stronger than he would have suspected, she stood being called a liar by Theon Greyjoy and she did not crumble under his rage.

"You're saying that my uncle kept you hostage?"

"I am saying your uncle bought me from the man that first held me hostage. The first mate on one of the fleets wanted money to give to his family and Euron was willing to make a trade for me."

"Greyjoys take what is theirs not pay for it." He sneered at her.

"And he did so by slicing the throat of the man after I was handed over."

"Enough!" Ned demanded from both of the parties in the room, they had been bickering and arguing since she had made the confession at the dinner table. He had rushed both of them out of the room

right away to discuss the matter more privately. He turned to the girl. "If you are telling the truth—"

"I am telling you the truth!"

"If you are telling the truth," He repeated. "you are accusing the Greyjoys of something very serious."

"I'm not accusing them of anything. Euron Greyjoy did not know who I was and treated me as he would treat any other captive. He treated me just as everyone else did, to him I wasn't a lady I was a

commoner and there are no laws to protect your commoners."

"And Euron just let you go?" Ned checked with her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I told you, I moved through the ranks quickly in those five years on the ship. I lost value to him over the years and he had plenty of other people to torment. My talents grew and he viewed me as more of an asset to his fleet than anything else, he stopped watching me and I was able to leave without him sending someone after me."

"You are lying." Theon sneered.

Her eyes turned on him and seemed to pierce his soul. "You cannot call me a liar unless you know the truth." When he didn't reply she stepped forwards almost touching him. "You shouldn't be so quick to defend your uncle." She whispered her voice cutting through him like the cold Winterfell winds. "You should know that he was banished by your own father, I know you know that story. But have you ever heard about his crew? How every man on his fleet had their tongues ripped from their heads so he could _have a bit of quiet?_ He didn't rip my tongue out." She moved that little bit closer to him eyes bring into his. "Because according to him, whores need their tongues."

Theon breathed heavily attempting to remain strong against the girl but the implications of her words chilled him to the bone and the intensity of her stare shocked him still.

Eddard Stark closed his eyes for a moment as her words sunk in, he stood and walked around his desk to stand between the two, moving Theon out of the way he looked down at the girl. "You must tell me what happened to you. Everything."

"There are some horrors only women can handle Lord Stark." She told him quickly glancing at Theon to glare at him. "I'm not telling my story only to be called a liar again."

"I promise you, we will listen and believe you as much as we can. If you are Kaia Jasper, trusting you begins with your story." Eddard glanced back to Theon who was staring blankly at the girl. "Fetch

Robb and Jon they will hear it as well."

"No one else." She said.

Eddard nodded. "No one else."

Ten minutes later four men were seated at Lord Stark's table and the door remained closed and away from prying ears. She had asked that there be no one else who knows, no one who could get word to her family or to those who had attempted to get rid of her, they had agreed.

"Lord Eddumnd sold me, he sold me to a group of bandits that were looking for a young girl that could fit through windows and climb trees, and lie well. As you know house Jasper prides itself on the art of theatre and play, I was staged trained and played my parts well. They paid Lord Eddmund in silver, in a brown pouch that was tossed to him once the bandits had me in their grasp. Lord Eddmund had tied my hands and feet together like a pig and handed me to them. He said nothing before he walked away and left me with them." She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "I was naked, Sir Eddmund had stripped me of my clothing and shoes and I was not given anything to cover myself until we stopped for the night, a thin blanket was my only source of clothing and warmth which I could not adjust well because my hands were tied and attached with shackles that connected to the horse. Where the horse went, I went, I cried and begged the men to let me go for months, they never did. I spent a year chained to that horse, only being released to steal or compete a task that they required of me to do. It took a year for me to finally understand what my fate was. You must understand that I was starved, I ate only scraps and drank water that fell from the horses mouth. My days were filled with beatings and threats, I relied on these men for everything. Any time I thought I could escape it was a test to see if I would escape and every time I tried I was brought back and beaten bloody. Anyone I asked for help pushed me away, they did not believe me and the only people I knew were those bandits. Life was easier to fall in line than to resist. We were so far away I didn't even know where to go." She sighed brushing hair back and looked up at the men. "They didn't rape me until I was eleven."

The men all looked at her then, truly looked at her and saw the defiance and strength of a woman whom had been through hell and had come back the devil himself. The look of a woman that refused to be broken.

"You don't—" Jon started.

"It didn't matter though, a month after the first time they attempted to steal a ship, I watched as their bodies were broken and thrown into the water and I watched them flap and thrash in that water attempting to make their broken bones keep them above water. It was one of the best moments of my life to watch them die in that water. I was kept captive in the ships dungeon for a month when Euron was offered me in return for money. I told you that story already."

Theon looked at the other men but they were fully invested in the words she was speaking.

"I was Euron's property and he made sure that everyone knew that, I was tormented only by Euron I was raped only by Euron and I served only Euron. Of course I was not treated well by the other mates on the ship but after their tongues were ripped out things got a little bit better. I was thirteen when I finally was no longer a slave to Euron. We were pirating and our ship became over run and I grabbed a sword and I had to defend myself. The bandits had been teaching me to fight throughout my time with them because we were always coming in contact with other criminals in other cities and villages.

Euron got word of my talent with a sword and decided that he would see what other talents I had. Pick pocketing, stealing, bargaining, fighting, acting it all went hand in hand and soon Euron saw me as an asset rather than something fun to play with."

She turned to look at Theon. "Your uncle loves power Theon, but not the power he holds over someone, _real _power and in order to do that he needed a strong crew much more than he needed a servant. I spent three years on the ship until I made my choice to leave, We docked in the North and I somehow made my way just North of Winterfell I didn't know where I was going until those men that I was with in the forest met me and told me that if I continued on my way then I would end up at the wall. Everywhere in the North is cold I didn't know the difference the only way I can navigate now is by water. We avoid Kings landing and most of Westeros so when we finally docked in the north I knew we wouldn't be coming back. You know the story from there."

"I'm sorry." Ned said after a few moments. "I'm sorry that is the life you lived."

"You believe me?" She checked with him.

"I am choosing to believe you. I still must prove that you are Kaia Jasper but for now I will believe you until proven otherwise." He paused. "And I'm sorry we never found you."

"It was a good ruse." She said bitterly. "Sir Eddmund got rid of me for ten years, and it was a great effort on his part."

"Kaia." Ned said leaning forward in his chair. "As far as anyone else is concerned you are still dead."

"But you said—"

"I said I chose to believe you but you cannot under any circumstances be left out of these walls, I would be sending you to die. You are safe here until I can assure that your family will not be betrayed again."

"They probably already know I'm here, things are not kept secret long."

"No one has spoken to your parents in years. Those that betrayed you watched girl after girl try to fool your parents and each one ended up as dead as they thought you were. Kaia, those people will not believe the rumours if they managed to get to them, especially when I explain that you are only girl with the same name, an injured girl who helped my sons in a storm."

"But—"

"Kaia I am willing to help you and keep you safe but we cannot do so without a plan, nor can we do so without being able to prove who you are."

Kaia knew that Eddard was right, she was annoyed by the truth of his statements but she knew that he was wise and was telling her what she needed to hear. Choosing to believe her was better than a constant tension between everyone. So she wasn't allowed to leave Winterfell, that was alright, that hadn't been part of her plan but at the same time she hadn't had a real plan to begin with. She had planned to go to Titan's Bay, prove that she was who she said she was and for everything to be fine. She hadn't known that her parents had isolated themselves, she hadn't known that they did not converse with anyone and she did not know about the hate they were clearly holding in their hearts. They might dismiss her just because they were upset without even truly meeting with her. Lord Stark was right, they needed a plan otherwise she would end up dead one way or another.

"Alright. How long do you expect to keep me here?"

Lord Stark shrugged. "As long as it takes, but there are some rules. You are not to leave the grounds of Winterfell, no one else outside of Winterfell is to see you or speak with you. Secondly, the trust I am giving you will be taken away if anyone tells me of you attacking them, stealing or attempting to escape. Thirdly the respect you show my family is the respect I will show you. We loved your family and we will keep you safe until I am sure you can return to Titan's Bay without being harmed, but if anything happens to my own family—"

"You have my word Lord Stark." She promised. "And thank you." Theon fell back in his chair, glancing at Robb and Jon, they stood still as if unable to fathom what was happening. Kaia Jasper had come back from the dead, she had been _dead. _There was still doubt, there would always be doubt, and her story seemed impossible but for that reason it made them believe her.

Kaia retired to her room, Robb had escorted her back and she knew it was to make sure she didn't run off anywhere rather than to be polite. She sat at her vanity and looked at herself in the mirror unable to feel at ease with Lord Starks words. He was _right_ she knew that but she had been held captive for so long, been someones property for so long that her mind and body could not remain still. She wasn't _free. _

All she wanted as to be free and she had had it, only to be placed under lock and key once again. It worried her in ways she couldn't explain, she was safe, she was warm and she was better fed than she had been in ten years but still her mind could not let go of the fact that she was not allowed to leave.

"You're safe." She whispered to herself, her eyes looked terrified in her mind. "You are safe." She stated a little more firmly.

Her mind didn't believe her. "They are not going to torture you." She tried. "Lord Stark is not going to harm you. You are safe." _But not free. _

Kaia pushed back from the desk knocking over the bottle of oil she had been given for her injuries, her chair clattered to the ground as her heart rate began to pick up.

"You're not a prisoner." She told herself again but her reflection didn't believe her.

_I need to get out of here. _

The door which she had entered was being guarded, she knew that, and she knew it was for safety but her palms began to sweat and her lack of trust was winning over her logical reasoning.

She looked to the window but she was far too high up to jump, the only way out was the way she came in. She went to her clothing, they had been washed but it did very little for the months of travel and battle she had experienced. They were worn and stained but they were as clean as they could be. Her weapons had been taken away, the Maester had seen to that when he stripped her body to asses

her wounds while she was unconscious and had told her that he would keep them safe until she was ready to leave.

She quickly changed into her clothes, discarding of the dress on the floor before deciding she should pick it up and folded it. She left it on the bed and looked at herself in the mirror. She had not seen her reflection in almost a year, not her true reflection, she had always been dirty or covered in blood or the reflection had been through a cup or armour making it distorted.

It was a face she did not recognize, but it was hers, it was the face of Kaia Jasper, a lady.

She was unarmed, she would have to disarm only one guard to get a sword, she preferred a hatchet but swords were always in large supply and she fought well. She didn't fight like a proper knight or soldier, she learned to fight without rules and it had made her good and unpredictable, but she was weak. Her abdomen still ached and burned from her wound and hands were still healing from being broken months previous, they were still and felt odd. She flexed them a few times trying to decide if they would be quick enough to disarm a guard.

No, not on their own, she would need help. . .

Kaia looked down at the desk, the bottle of oil was over turned but remained on the desk. She was exhausted, her body was complaining even as she stood there now but all she needed was to lift the guards sword knife from his hip, or stun him long enough to keep him from striking her down.

Body trembling she raised her hand, staring at the bottle and quickly, as if beckoning the oil to her, pulled her fingers towards her body, the bottle rocked and then rolled falling off the table.

She sighed in relief, her body had rested long enough and she was ready, she looked at her reflection again and cursed at the small drop of blood falling down her cheek.

Theon's hobbies were not a secret, and part of him didn't care who knew, he was to be a Lord, his title would not be taken away because he lay with whores. He enjoyed the thrill he got of fucking a girl who wanted to be fucked, someone who was willing and excited to be in his bed, it had done wonders for his reputation with women even if it meant his reputation with the Lords was damaged a little bit.

He didn't care, not really, there was nothing that could keep him from participating in what he was willing to pay for.

The only thing he did not enjoy was sneaking back into the castle. Lord Stark had scorned him many times for the amount of time he spent in brothels and he tried to avoid them as much as possible.

His route took him down and past Kaia's room and he felt his stomach turn at the thought her being in the castle. Lord Stark had chosen to believe her and had requested from his sons and Theon that they treat her like the lady she it, there would be no personal gain from treating her horribly but Theon felt odd about the situation. Her story had made his skin crawl and his stomach feel as though it had been ripped through his chest. Kaia the little six year old annoying girl that would torment his father with her constant chatter, sold, beaten and raped. . . much of which at the hands of his uncle.

He didn't know what that meant, nor did he know what it meant for their own relationship. He had not seen his uncle since the rebellion and Theon had just been a boy at that time, Euron had been casted out but he was still Theon's family. He hadn't been kind to her either he had called her a liar to her face and wanted nothing more than to get her out of Winterfell and endure whatever harsh fate the God's wanted her to face. But now he felt slightly bad for his actions towards her, he and been certain she was lying but now. . .

Theon turned the corner and stopped in his tracks, two guards lay resting on the ground outside Kaia's rooms and he feared the worst. Rushing forwards Theon stepped over th guards and into Kaia's room finding it empty, her dress neatly folded on the bed and he felt himself grow angry. He turned on his heel and grasped one of the guards by the front of his armour. "Wake up!" He snapped.

The guard groaned but opened his eyes. "Mi'lord . . ."

"Where is she?" He demanded shaking the guard hard enough to rattle his teeth.

"I don't. . . she was so quick Mi'Lord, it was as though she didn't even . ." He released the guard and allowed his body to collapse back onto the ground.

Theon's chambers were down the next hallway and he quickly grabbed his bow and quiver and took off in search of Kaia.

She had not been taken, he knew it in his gut that she had not been captured and was being hauled from Winterfell, she was disobeying Lord Stark and trying to escape. What her intentions were he did not know but he was going to stop her.

Winterfell was asleep, Theon and patrolling guards would be the only ones awake and he did not want to wake Lord Stark out of fear he might accuse Theon of stopping by her chambers in the night. No, he would find her himself.

She didn't know Winterfell, it was complicated and if she had managed to get through the gates then she was long gone by then but if she was still within the walls then there was a very good chance that she was lost or hadn't gotten far.

He was right, he saw her as he came to the walkway over the training grounds where he spent his time practicing archery. She was coming from the other side clearly frustrated and not knowing where she was going, she locked eyes with Theon as he made his way onto the walkway.

She didn't look scared nor did she look ashamed to have been caught trying to leave, she actually rolled her eyes and him and grasped the stone ledge beside them and pulled herself up onto it.

"Stop!" he called to her walking quickly towards her. It was not a long drop below them but he knew that if she made it onto the ground it wouldn't be long until she was at the gates. "I said stop." Theon was a few feet from her, his bow now notched with an arrow and pointed at her face.

"Leave me be Theon." She hissed throwing her leg over the side of the wall straddling it when Theon pulled the arrow tighter against his face. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"I can't let you leave."

She scoffed. "You? You of all people are going to keep me here?"

"Come down." He commanded but again she scoffed.

"Or what? You're going to let the arrow fly into my heart? Are you going to kill me Theon?"

"Injuring you will get you down just as fast."

"Then I tumble over the side and possibly die is that what you want? To be the reason that Kaia Jasper dies? That's not the wisest plan Theon."

"I'm not letting you escape, Lord Stark has commanded that you stay within these walls."

"Just as he commanded that of you when you were a boy?" She asked. "He took you as a hostage and you stayed put like a dog." Theon glared at her and pulled the bow that little bit tighter. "I expected you of all people to understand the need and want to escape."

"If you escape they will hunt you down, you will be forced to come back here and you will not be treated so fairly as you are now."

"A dungeon would be a beautiful palace compared to what I once lived through. The only place I want to go is home, Theon."

"He will get you home."

"He doesn't even believe me!" She snapped. "None of you do."

"I do." Theon answered honestly. "I do believe you."

"And yet you hold an arrow to my face.""

"I'm trying to protect you."

Something flashed in her eyes, defiance? anger? confusion? Theon wasn't sure but she did sneer at him "You're not protecting me. You're threatening me."

"You will not survive out there alone, Lord Stark is trying to help you but you can't see that."

"He's keeping me hostage, I do not have the freedom to leave if I would like to, I am a hostage here and I will _Never _be a hostage again." There was a raw honesty to her voice that had Theon wondering

if she really did tell them everything that had happened to her. He knew that there were plenty of small stories within the large one she had told them but looking at the pain and desperation in her eyes he knew that there was so much more to her life than what she was willing to tell.

Theon kept the bow where it was, pointed at her face but let his arms relax a little but. "Lord Stark is kind, you are not shackled in the dungeon and his terms are only to keep you safe from others. If you leave he cannot protect you anymore."

She pulled her leg back over the wall and found her footing on the ground. Theon had thought he had convinced her to stay but the look in her eyes told him differently. She sauntered closer to him, the bow in his hands trembled as he wondered what she was about to do. "I'll shoot." He warned her but it was an empty threat.

"Soon you'll learn Theon." She whispered to him the arrow now touching the fabric of her shirt. "Kaia Jasper, does not need protecting." Kaia's arm was brought up pushing the bow from Theon's hands, the arrow flying into the wall beside them, her right arm moved quickly and punched Theon in his eye. He fell to the ground stunned by what had happened.

His vision blurry and his mind confused he lay on the ground for a few moments as his brain attempted to tell his body that he could move. He wobbled to his knees trying to shake the dazed feeling from his head.

When he finally was able to see clearly he sprang to his feet and looked over the ledge, Kaia was already running across the grounds, Theon fumbled for his bow but it was too late. It was too dark to judge where she was.

Anger flowed through him as he watched her disappear into the dark. Theon turned on his heel, ready to alert Lord Stark and the guards that Kaia had managed to escape.

He didn't make it three steps before he felt his mind become clouded again, the pain from where Kaia had hit him mixed with the wine he had enjoyed with Ros working against him. He tried to close his eyes and push the feeling away, he only made it another few steps before he collapsed.


	5. Chapter 5

"What happened to you?" Robb asked Theon as he entered his chambers. The Stark family had been alerted about Theon, he had been found on the walkway above the grounds by one of the guards on patrol. His eye was black and swollen and he was now sat in front of the fire still trying to warm himself up.

Theon didn't answer him, he was angry and embarrassed that Kaia had managed to escape and he had been the one to let her. He remained quiet, the Starks would find her room empty soon enough and the guards would be blamed for her disappearance.

Robb sighed and took a seat next to Theon. "Another fight with Sir Arrand?"

Theon turned to glare at his friend. "No." He snapped.

"Theon my father does not approve of you going to brothels for more reasons that sleeping with whores. This," He gestured to his eyes. "is one another reason."

"It wasn't Sir Arrand." Theon hissed at him, him and Sir Arrand had fought over whores before in the whore house, Theon had come back to Winterfell with a bloody nose once over an argument over a whore that Sir Arrand had already paid for.

Robb didn't believe him. "Whoever it was, it is another reason for you to stop going—"

"It wasn't from going to the brothels!" Theon defended.

"Then what was it?" Theon remained quiet, any lie he could come up with didn't matter, Robb wouldn't believe him anyways, being found on the ground by a guard was bad enough, he had blamed that on too much wine but the black eye was something that needed a proper explanation and anything he could think of was too embarrassing to admit to.

Robb nodded and stood. "Well, we're late for breakfast." He told him. "My father will want to know what happened to your eye."

Theon dropped the furs that had been covering him and followed Robb out the door. Fine. Let the Starks think that I got into a fight at the brothels it was better than what had really happened, but he would not admit to it, he would not give Ned Stark the satisfaction of him admitting to it.

Theon followed Robb for a few moments before he spoke. "I suppose Kaia will be dining in her room then, the last meal she shared with us did not go very well." He tried to be as casual as he could but even to himself he sounded guilty of something.

Robb looked back at him. "Why sudden care if she dines with us or not?"

Theon shrugged. "I was wondering if she was still upset or not."

"Why—"

"Because my uncle raped her Robb and I would like to know if she is angry with me or not. If her not dining with us implies that she does not want to see me. " He lied.

Robb softened a bit. "Well she must not be as upset as you believe she is. She is already in the hall."

Theon stopped in his tracks at his words and Robb turned to look at him. "She's in the hall?"

'Yes?" Theon pushed past Robb and hastily walked to the dining hall he pushed through the doors far more aggressive than necessary and found the rest of the Stark's staring back at him. The Stark's, and Kaia. She was back in the green dress Lady Stark had given her and she had been laughing with Jon about something, her smile disappeared when she saw Theon.

He stared at her, wanting to walk over and demand an explanation for what she had done but it would cause suspicion and suddenly Theon was wondering if the events last night have even happened.

Had he been too drunk? Had he gotten into a argument with someone? But the look on her face, the apology that flickered in her features before she smiled at him let him know that he had not imagined it.

He walked to the table everyone giving him an odd look from the grand entrance he had made. He made no attempt to speak to her during the meal

Kaia knew Theon was following her as she walked through the halls and she knew he wanted to speak with her once she turned the corner and was out of sight of the Starks Theon's hand grasped her elbow and steered her towards her chambers.

Once inside Theon slammed the doors closed and turned on her, anger flaring in his eyes. "I'm sorry about your eye." She said before he could yell at her.

"Was your plan to make me look foolish?" He demanded. "Because I remember you running across the grounds towards the gate, did you expect me to announce your disappearance only to have you still sitting your rooms?"

"No." She said. "I was going to leave." Theon waited for her to continue. "You were right."

"What?"

"You were right." She repeated shrugging. "I didn't even make it a mile outside the gates before I turned back. I only know how to travel on the water, I didn't know where I was going and I'm still too weak.

My stitches came undone, I wouldn't have made it."

Theon stared at her and Kaia felt an odd feeling inside her, she hadn't meant to hurt Theon, she was desperate and at the time needed to be away from Winterfell, it took stepping out of the walls for her to realize what she had been trying to believe, she was safe in Winterfell she was not safe out in the world. Not alone, it didn't matter how skilled she was with an ax or a sword, three men would easily overpower her and she might end up the captive of someone much worse than Ned Stark. And without a guide she was wandering around in the dark lost.

"The guards, you attacked them."

"Well I needed them to let me go." She said rolling her eyes.

"They didn't tell Lord Stark."

"Neither did you." She reminded him. "I was raised by proud men Theon, I know that a man is not going to let the world know that a woman bested him. The guards were discussing what to do when I returned, I promised I would not run away again if they did not tell Lord Stark and if they went and found you." She had been avoiding his gaze until that moment. "I didn't know you were still outside. . ."

Theon took a step forwards his voice still had an edge to it but he quieted down. "If you try to run away again—"

"I'm not going to." She promised.

"If you do I will have you locked in that dungeon myself!" He hissed reaching out to grab her arm harshly. Kaia looked down at the hand on her arm, he was gripping her much tighter than he should have been but she had been through worse pain than to react. "You may be Kaia Jasper but without anyone outside these walls knowing who you are you are nothing!"

She watched him carefully trying to decide how she felt about Theon Greyjoy and if his words were just a boy playing Lord. "Are you threatening me?"

"I am warning you."

"And the warning comes with a consequence?"

His eyes narrowed. "Yes."

"One that _you _intend on fulfilling?" He nodded, and she pulled her arm from his grip and glared back at him. "Then you are right, it's not a threat."

"What?"

"A threat that comes from a man who had no intention of implementing it, means nothing."

Theon's blood began to boil with anger and Kaia smirked at him, he had a temper he had something to prove and it was a fatal flaw in him. "I will —"

"You'll do nothing." She shrugged. "You don't have the mind of a warrior, you have been in no battles and won no victories, you have not killed a man nor have you seen even half of the world I have. A wise and great man is made Theon, not born. If you were wise you would not have threatened me, because a wise man knows he cannot threaten someone who is stronger than he is."

"You are speaking to a Lord."

"You're not a Lord." She said back quickly as if she was expecting him to say it. "You're a Greyjoy, Euron told me what happened to your family, all of you exiled."

"Then you'll know that your family did not support mine, we had an alliance and your family betrayed mine!" Theon was allowing his anger to fuel the conversation, anger that his father had felt for the Jaspers was embedded in him.

"Your father tried to dethrone King Robert, a battle that my family helped Robert win. We asked you to help us and the Greyjoy's refused until the end. You can't blame us for the alliance dying when your father was reluctant to help us first."

Theon shook his head. "You weren't there. You don't know what happened, you were dead."

"And you were a child." She reminded him crossing her arms. "I understand that there are things that happened that I was not here to witness, and there are stories that I do not know but my family were not traitors."

"No they were fools." He snapped at her. Kaia was taken back by his harshness, when she had been sold she was not old enough to understand that her family was mocked by other families, she did not learn the negative opinions houses had on her house. She remembered being happy, and her parents being loved, she understood that her house was not like many other families, she had heard rumours about the Jasper family but she lived in the forest and stories were at a minimum. When she was found dead that seemed to be the only news of the Jaspers and when they finally isolated themselves she was living on the ships and there was very little gossip due to the men not being able to speak. Everything she knew was questionable and it was a very little amount that she did know.

Theon did not stop to notice the shocked expression on her face. "They were idiots that everyone laughed at, and when you died it was a blessing because your family finally disappeared from the courts."

Kaia watched as Theon remained angry, he refused to apologize to her and she couldn't even tell if he felt the need to apologize. Did he understand what he had said? She had been living her life

surrounded by men who were not good people. She had met evil men, cold men, dangerous men, and arrogant men, but she didn't think she had ever met a man who was _cruel. _

"How did you get like this?" She whispered, Theon remained glaring at her. "Get out."

"I am not done speaking with you."

"I will blacken your other eye if you don't get out!" She advanced on him and Theon took a few steps back towards the door.

"Now you are the one making threats." He challenged trying to stand as tall as he could. He couldn't quite explain the look in her eyes, but it could frighten even the darkest soul, it was something inhuman that sent chills through your body, as if the dead were speaking to you. "You are threatening a Greyjoy."

"And I will kill a Greyjoy if he does not exit my chambers now!" Theon was angry but he had enough etiquette to know that being in a woman's chambers when he was not wanted as not proper and he did not need her telling Lord Stark that he was harassing her, he might be the one to end up in the dungeon then.

So he grasped the handle on the door and looked at her again, her stare was cold and unnerving with a huff he opened the door yelling a the guards to get out of his way.

Kaia watched the door close and made sure he was not coming back into the room before she collapsed onto her bed.

What he had said was rude and it had hurt her but she had been through enough in her life to know that words were nothing but sounds and they couldn't hurt her unless she let them. But Theon had also opened her eyes to the fact that she truly did not know much about what had happened in the last ten years. Of course she knew about Robert's rebellion and the Greyjoy's trying to fight Robert and who

the Starks were etc. She had been educated from the age of three on the history of the houses and she tried to remember as much as she could but her family put emphasis on her stage training, and her singing and her kindness. Her days were not spent in a room surrounded by books and Maesters or septa's she spent time out on the stage and in the gardens. She had been happy and those things had come to help her during her time as a captive but she wished that she had spent more time learning history because it might have allowed her to escape sooner. She might have known where to go, known the sigils of houses that would help her, or might have even known enough of the laws to be able to get her captor's beheaded or in a dungeon.

She sighed and sat up on the bed looking towards the window. She might have decided not to run away again but she needed to at least be outside. She had training to keep up with.

"You said what?" Robb asked Theon as they handed their swords to smiths to be sharpened.

Theon wasn't expecting Robb to be shocked by his confession, he had been expecting him to understand his anger and that it was rightfully placed. "I didn't speak anything that wasn't true."

"Do you remember the Jaspers?" Robb asked him. They went to Pyke quite often."

"I remember then." Theon said practically spitting the words. "They were an embarrassment."

"I'm sure they were, to your father."

"To everyone."

Robb leaned against a post and crossed his arms. "The Jaspers were never cruel, they were kind hearted, smile and ruled a great house that has never lost a battle. You at the age of six thought they were embarrassing?"

Theon stared at Robb wondering what he was getting at. "Yes."

Robb shook his head. "Did you hate the Jasper's or did your father?"

"Everyone did-"

"Theon." Robb said stopping him. "Your father hated them, not you. He hated them and he still let them into his home they lost their daughter, and you attend her funeral. And you want to say that her death was a blessing? A blessing to a family that never did any wrong to anyone?"

"They betrayed my family! In a war that killed my brothers!"

"A war your father started!" Robb snapped at him. "A war that had nothing to do with her and you blame her for it and tell her that her brutal death was a blessing!"

Theon did not want to listen to Robb take the side of a girl that been in their life for no more than a few days. He turned on his heel and started for the gates ignoring Robb calling for him to stop.

Theon walked until he was at the doors of the brothel, inside the atmosphere was something that he had grown used to and he didn't know if that was good or bad thing. When he first arrived in the brothel he had been confident but nervous, preferring to sneak the whores into his bedrooms instead but slowly over time he wasn't scared of entering the brothel, in fact he felt comfortable.

The women all smiled and were lovely to him, they were willing to be fucked and spoke to him as if he were the king himself.

Ros was coming out of a room when he walked in, following her out was a man but he didn't pay him any mind, when Ros smiled at him it was the only thing that he saw, she waved him over, smirking over her shoulder as she disappeared into the room once again. Theon almost ran after her.

He fucked her hard and fast and long. Her cries of pleasure filled the room as the heat, pressure and sweat built up and his own grunts of effort rivalled the screams of Ros. When he finished he finished violently, slamming into her and nearly knocking her off the bed as he took her from behind but his fist full of hair kept her from moving and kept her in place.

Ros sighed as Theon removed himself from Ros and allowed her to lay on her back stretching. "Something bothering you?" She asked.

Theon panted and sat himself down on the side of the bed. "Why do you ask?"

"Theon Greyjoy in the middle of the day. Not uncommon but usually fucking will end with his rant about something the Starks did."

Theon rolled his eyes. "It wasn't the Starks." He grumbled pulling on his pants.

"Then what servant has you so upset?" She asked, Theon didn't answer he only started on the ties of his pants as he stood up. "Is it about the girl?" Theon turned to look at her and she laughed at the shocked look on her face. "Nothing is a secret long Theon, I know about the young girl that was stabbed in the forest. Everyone does."

Theon felt a bit of relief that she hadn't mentioned that she knew she was Kaia Jasper, he knew Ros and knew she would have mentioned it or teased him about it. He wasn't sure why he was relieved, the girl had been nothing but unpleasant to be around. And there it was, his bad mood had returned.

"She has no manners." Theon said. "She thinks she can speak to me as though I am a commoner."

"Girls who grow up in the wild are nothing to concern yourself with." She smiled. "She'll be back out fucking cows and horses in a few days."

Theon shook his head as he pulled his shirt on. "Lord Stark is insistent that we owe her a debt, she will be with us until she heals."

"Then do not concern yourself with her." Ross rose from the bed and walked towards Theon placing a hand on his chest. "You are Lord Theon Greyjoy, the girl is nothing and you should remind her of that." The smile on Ros's face told him that she was not referring to a calm conversation. Ros was a beautiful girl with a gentle heart but she had a liking for the wicked, she enjoyed gossip and being of higher status than others even if it meant the others being mistreated to get the point across.

In truth, Ros had never viewed anything more vile than a man beating a woman because he couldn't perform, she had been hit herself too but in Winterfell it was uncommon, she was the best in the brothel therefore she was treated well and Lord Stark had supplied the inn's with well trained men to keep the girls safe enough.

With Ros's words echoing in his mind Theon took off towards Winterfell with the intent of having a much different conversation with Kaia.

Theon was angry, a feeling that was not foreign to him but it was a feeling he detested, especially when it was because he was being disrespected. And by a woman no less.

If Kaia is who she says she is then she should know the formalities that a Lady is to have, to be kind and respectful to Lords whom speak to her and offer her a home. If Kaia wasn't who she said then it was even more infuriating, how dare she talk to him in such a way? A common woman speaking to a Lord in such a manner was punishable in his eyes. Disrespect like that was not tolerated and had she been in the iron islands she would have been tied down by the water and awaited until then tide finished her off.

Kaia was angry herself, he knew that, although she was not in a dungeon she was still being held captive in the castle, unable to leave the grounds and being threatened if she did so. Still she had a bed to sleep in and food in her belly, she was not going to have to do hard labour or turn to prostitution, she was safe and she should have some gratitude but instead she spoke to them as though they were nothing but scullery maids.

Theon wanted to talk to her, he wanted to say everything he was unable to a few hours ago and remind her of her place in an attempt to restore some of his dignity.

He hadn't bothered to knock, she was a captive she did not deserve privacy but he was stopped by the door opening itself and a you maid coming out of the room, she looked surprised to see Theon standing there with his hand on the doorknob.

"Mi'lord." She said quietly before rushing past him, the door still open. Theon looked inside, Kaia sat at a table, clearly not having noticed the interaction between the two.

She was hunched over a piece of parchment a pained look on her face. She held the quill in her hand, it shook violently a few centimetres above the paper before she dropped it onto the table. She breathed heavily eyes seeming to water as she looked at her shaking hands with an unbelieving stare.

Theon moved himself completely into the room catching her attention and her pain turned to anger at the sight of him. "Get out." She hissed standing up from her chair.

"Who were you planning to write to?" Theon asked smugly. "Someone to come save you? Your traitor friends? The lowly scoundrels? I doubt they can read Kaia." He was being cruel, he knew it when he saw something flicker in her eyes for half a second before it was cast over with a hateful glare.

"It is none of your business."

"Lord Stark would never let a letter leave this place without reviewing it."

"Then it's a good thing that I wasn't writing to be saved. I don't need saving."

Theon smirked at her. "I would say otherwise, you wish to leave so badly and yet you are still here."

"Get out." she said again, when he made no movement towards the door she stalked towards it herself.

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere you are not." She snapped at him. "Which means you can eliminate brothels and the servants quarters when you come looking for me again."

Theon's anger began to boil again. "You are not going anywhere, I command that you remain here and speak with me."

She stopped, hand on the door and looked at him. "I am not speaking with you Theon, I am arguing with you. Both are a waste of time."

"I said—"

"Yes you commanded me. You are not a Lord Theon Greyjpy you are a small man pretending to be more than you are and I will not stand here and be insulted and teased by someone who has won no battles and who has no honour."

Then she was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

Theon was not done speaking with Kaia, he hadn't chased her out of the room in fact he had walked across to her desk and picked up the ink and thrown it across the room. The jar smashed against the wall and ink spilled along the floor and onto the furs of her bed.

His breathing heaved with anger and he tried to calm himself down, but he knew if he went after her as angry as he was he would cause a scene and end up being spoken to by Ned Stark again.

He sighed and ran a hand through his brown curls and turned towards her desk. Parchment was strewn about and her quill had been dropped leaving a small stain on the paper but there weren't any words written. There were not crumpled papers to imply that she had been trying to write a letter but was struggling. There were small marks on the paper, scribbles that looked like they might have resembled a word but was completely unreadable.

Theon wondered if it was some kind of code she had created with the pirates but he doubted it. He didn't believe that the pirates received many letters with their constant travel but still it was unsettling to have her written something and him not know what it said.

He grabbed the paper and threw it into the fire not caring that he had burned someone's private letter and decided that the next conversation they had should be about who she was trying to write to and what the symbols had meant.

She was in the library when he found her again, she was gripping a book tightly her hands shaking as she did so and her eyes watering as she looked down at the words. Theon could see the cover from where she held it up to him. _History of the houses._ He assumed she must be trying to learn more about her family and what had happened through the past few years. crying at the idea that she had missed so much and grieving for the life she lost.

"There's not much to read about your family that you don't already know." He told her. the book dropped heavily onto the desk and she wiped angrily at her tears.

"How many times do I have to make it clear that I don't want you around me before you actually listen?"

"I'm not done speaking with you."

"But I was done with you." She said.

Theon ignored her. "Who who were you trying to write to?"

"What?"

"I saw the letter you were writing, clever of you write in code, but not clever enough to hide the evidence."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I wasn't writing in code Theon."

"Who were you trying to get in contact with?" He asked her again. "I will not have you putting this house in danger!"

She stood up knocking her chair to the ground. "What could I possibly want to do with this House Theon?!" She demanded. "It has been made very clear to me that I will never get back to my family on my own and I would not jeopardize Ned Stark taking me back to my family for anything! What do you think I am doing? Writing to _your _uncle to invade the Starks? I may not know all the history but I do know that the North would not fall to a fleet of men who fight wars on water!"

"You were writing to someone!" Theon snapped. "What other reason could you possibly have for writing in a way that no one else could read it?"

"If you are accusing me of something then you either kill me before I can do it or you report me to Lord Stark but you have no proof of me attempting to harm anyone in this house." Theon opened his mouth to reply but promptly shut it remembering that he had thrown the paper into the fire. "If I was guilty I would have been gone Theon, I wouldn't wait for my execution."

"You would if you felt you could manipulate Lord Stark into believing you."

"And is that what you believe I did?" She demanded walking towards him. "You think I am lying and have somehow manipulated Lord _Eddard Stark?_ Lord Stark believes me because he knows what suffering is so he can see when others have been through it as well." She pulled her sleeve up showing him her forearm a very poorly healed scar was there, the word _Lady_ had been carved into her arm.

"This is what happens when you try to speak your name in front of men attempting to destroy you." She then dropped her sleeve to push her hair back and show him her ears. the lobes had been removed. "Sliced off with seashells by your uncle because I spilled wine. And this," She turned her neck to show Theon a pink scar running along the left side. "is from a boy who didn't press hard enough when attempting to slit my throat."

Theon remained silent, not knowing how to react to her intense stare and she stepped closer to him. "You don't believe me, and you don't trust me, but you will not accuse me of being something I'm not.

You will not try to torment me with your words. I will never be afraid of you, but you should be afraid of me, because I don't know many people who survived death as many times as I have."

Theon watched her leave feeling like a complete eel for how he had spoken to her. He had seen her vulnerable and he had verbally attacked her and turned her cold. He had made her remember the terrible things that had happened and had even shown him.

Her words had made him angry of course but he wasn't so heartless as to believe she _deserved _his accusations and harassment. Not knowing what to do,—he decided going after her again wasn't a good idea— he went to the table that she had been sitting at and looked at the book she had been reading.

His brow furrowed at the page it was opened to, it was opened to a passage about the Lannisters. It was simply a passage about the birth of kings children and what they looked like. She had been crying, he was sure of it, but why was she crying at reading this?

"You know Theon," Maester Luwin's voice startled him and he turned to look at the old man. "most women will suffer in silence and it is not right to belittle those that do not."

Theon looked back at the book running and hand along the rough leather holding it together. "Kaia saved your life and you treat her as though she were the one who attacked you."

"She knows no manners, she does not know the proper way to address a Lord." Theon grumbled.

"And why would she?" He asked, reminding Theon that he did not know who the girl was claiming to be. "She suffered at the hands of men who treated her like nothing, why would she know how to curtsey and smile and serve? She was treated as a slave and then as an equal, she knows how to cut a mans throat out but she did not learn how to serve tea."

"How do you know this?"

The man walked forwards and slowly closed the book Kaia had been reading. "She told me, I thought she might have some insight about Euron Greyjoy that I could write about and I will tell you it is nothing that I would enjoy writing about." He slowly picked up the book and looked at Theon. "If you speak to her and truly listen, you might discover that she is the kind of girl that you do not find in every home in Westeros and that she has more to offer than manners. But only if you listen."

Theon watched as Maester Luwin started into the dark library before turning back to him for a moment. "Oh and Theon." He waited for the man to continue. "Twenty minutes she was down here and not a single page was turned. I don't believe you have to worry about her writing to someone."

The books piled high in Ned Stark's chambers and he was beginning to wonder if there was any end to the history of House Jasper. They were best known for their extravagant events and entertainment which overshadowed the true in depth history of war they had been apart of. The Jaspers had a reputation and their reputation of being overly joyous fools made others forget that their house had _never lost a battle._ The history books lying on his desk proved that, he himself had forgotten and was even shocked to read some of the entries in the books. They didn't fight often, not anymore, but in the past they had been a powerful and very feared House, but there had always been something odd about the Jaspers. Their army was large, one of the largest in all of Westeros if not the largest, however their army was not filled with trained fighters and warriors. Since they did not enjoy the brutality of war, and preferred the stage and music their army had many performers and musicians fighting for them. Yet, they continued to win battles with very minimal loss.

No one understood and it was rumoured that the Jaspers were richer than all the Houses combined and would pay their way to victory but it was only a rumour. As years passed their involvement in war became as minimal as possible and their allies were strong and vast ranging from the Lannisters to the Tyrells to the Starks and their most recent alliance attempt, the Greyjoys.

Books were filled with their triumph in battle and their wonderful weddings and parties but there was nothing that Ned Stark could find to prove that the girl in his home was Kaia Jasper.

The six year old's death was written multiple times in multiple books but aside from that, her information and history was very limited. Everything written in the books he already knew. There was no talk of a distinctive trait, no birth mark, no scars, no injuries.

It was frustrating and rather boring to sift through the thousands of pages and only find a few sentences about the young girl.

It was also very upsetting, Kaia Jasper was six when she died and that was the last thing they would ever know about her. She did not attend parties were her father would present her to the young men and women in Westeros like they did for every Jasper. She would not perform her skills as an entertainer. They would not know if she could sing, or dance or act. She would not be courted by young men, she would not marry or have children. . .

It made him hopeful that the girl was telling the truth, it would be a wonderful thing to have her back and to live the rest of her live in happiness wit her family but it was starting to seem like it was an impossible mission.

Ned Stark refused to contact the Jaspers about the situation, he would _not _present a girl to them who was not their daughter, he could not do that to them or himself.

Getting in contact with the Jaspers would be difficult enough with how they shut out the entire world, and he refused to bring them out of hiding only to break their hearts yet again.

The girl hadn't been causing problems, it was obvious to anyone who watched her that her and Theon did not get along, Bran and Arya seemed to like her, Cat was very wary of her and she was polite to the servants. But the girl was bored.

He had seen the way she walked around his home, the way she watched the boys train and the way her hand always went to her abdomen where her stitches remained. He had noticed she had a habit of flexing her hands and wondered if it was a nervous tick or if it was just a habit from an injury. She was observant, she seemed to analyze everyone around her and seemed to be aware of everything happening in the room, as if she was planning escape at all times.

Her history was not a pleasant tale and it was obvious in the way she carried herself that she had been through some torment. She walked with confidence and there was an air of danger surrounding her, had no one known her past Ned would have thought she was the daughter of a very powerful Lord and knew the power she held.

But she hadn't grown up being primped and groomed for life of power and decadence, she had been abused and taught the life of a criminal.

Ned felt bad for the girl and the fact that she had been cooped up in the same place for days, walking around uncomfortably in too small dresses, but he needed to keep her in sight. But perhaps there was something he could do to make her stay a little more enjoyable.

Kaia had been avoiding Lady Stark and most of the Stark family for the last few days, when she saw them in the hallways she was polite but most of her time was spent with the servants and the guards and the maesters. It had been a week since she had punched Theon and he was the one she tried to avoid most of all. They had fought and bickered harshly when they were around one another and when they did not fight they ignored one another and glared.

But Lady Stark was the first woman to ever truly scare her. In her life she dealt mostly with men but had been taught that women were easily manipulated, they did not learn how to fight nor did they carry much money but they were kinder than men and more easily attacked since it was hard for them to run in their dresses.

Lady Stark though, she seemed to be the kind of woman the pirates would easily attack, a rich and powerful woman, helpless and had learned to be a lady not how to fight. But Kaia felt odd around her,

Lady Stark obviously did not like her her cold stares and harsh words were enough for Kaia to know that, and because of this she spent her time out in the yards where she knew she wouldn't be.

She hadn't trained though, her stitches were constantly coming undone and needing to be redone, she watched and observed and learned a much as she could about Winterfell. She sat on a fence

watching as people hurried about their duties and remembered when she had stood where they were standing when Lord Eddmund had suggested they play a game in the forest. She had been so excited that she hadn't even asked if her parents would be okay with it.

She looked towards the gate where servants were bustling around and saw nothing but a six year old little girl following a man her parents fully trusted, to her death.

"Kaia." Lady Stark's voice nearly had her falling off the wooden fence where she was perched, she looked behind her to see Catelyn standing behind her.

Kaia quickly jumped down to greet her properly. "Lady Stark."

She seemed uncomfortable, and refused to look her in the eye. "I was thinking that maybe it was time that you be fitted for some clothing."

Kaia stumbled over her words, she had been wearing the clothing she had arrived in for the last few days despite the four dressed Catelyn had had brought to her which had all been too small. "Thank my

Lady but, the dresses you have given me are perfectly fine I just—"

Catelyn stopped her. "Despite what my husband has decided, I do not believe you." At Kaia's shocked expression she lowered her voice and continued. "Kaia Jasper is dead, and only her _mother_ can decide that she is not. I believe that you are lying and it sickens me. . . However, I do believe you when you say what you have been through, I just don't believe the character you are trying to play.

Nonetheless you shouldn't be without clothes."

She looked down at the clothes she was wearing, they were too big and were littered with holes and discolouration but they had been the clothing she had been wearing for almost a month and were the only things she felt comfortable in. "Truly Lady Stark do not trouble yourself having me fit for dresses—"

"I am not talking about dresses." She said. "A woman in trousers is not common, but I suspect a woman raised by men does not know the proper way to wear a dress. And if a dress is not suitable I will not have those clothes you are wearing coming undone and having you being indecent." Her tone was cold but the gesture was warm and was the first bit of kindness she had showed her. "And with the amount of times you have ripped your stitched I will not have you ruining those dresses with blood when Sansa will soon be big enough to wear them. I will have fabric sent to your room and you can choose which you prefer." Then she turned on her heel and was gone.

A small smile played on Kaia's lips as she watched her leave.

The armoury was Kaia's favourite place in Winterfell so far. Her sword and ax had been stolen and sold while she was sleeping in an inn and she had been left with only a few daggers to protect herself.

She would have stolen a weapon off someone else but there was no need to risk a fight and injury when she could defend herself fine with the knives.

She liked to see the swords and the intricate detail put into them, she enjoyed looked and even holding the weapons. She didn't dare try to strike with them out of fear of ripping her stitches yet again, she was in too much pain to do so anyways.

Her injuries were healing but they were healing slowly and she refused any milk of the poppy because she did not want to be held up in her chambers unable to move.

Her favourite thing to do was watch the weapons being made, it passed the time and the young blade smiths were kind enough to speak to her about what it was they were doing. Plus it was nice and warm in there with all the fires going.

"You have to quench the blade." Roarke explained to her, he was a young man of eighteen she had met a few days ago who was pleasant enough to her.

"Quench?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

He smiled at her. "It rapidly cool's the metal."

"You're sticking it in oil, surely the Winterfell air would be enough." He laughed at that and shook his blonde head.

"You know a lot about the blades themselves but nothing about how they are made."

"Where I grew up you steal your weapons, not make them." She replied watching as the flames roared into the air as he stuck the blade in the oil.

"Where did you grow up?"

She was about to lie when Theon came into the room, she glared at him when he saw her but he didn't glare back. "I need to speak with you." He said as politely as he could.

"No." Was her answer and she saw the flicker of anger in Theon's eyes as well as the shock in Roarke's.

Theon looked at the man and stood as tall as he could. "Leave us then." He said, and Roarke knew better than to refuse Lord Greyjoy of what he wanted. He nodded and smiled softly at Kaia before he

took himself and his blade somewhere else. It was late a night and Roarke had been the only one in the armoury when she arrived, everyone else had retired for the night.

"Go away." Kaia said and was ignored.

"You have new clothing." he gestured to her new clothes.

"Lady Stark said it would be best if I were clothed in something I was more comfortable in." She explained. The clothing was not as practical as her old clothes, they were made from soft material and they were meant for a Lord but she felt that they were not proper for fighting or travel like her others had been but they were much more flattering. It hadn't taken long for her clothing to be made, pants and shirts didn't need extravagant work but they fit properly and form fit to her body in ways that made it clear she was a woman.

She hadn't worn colours in a long time either, the red, blue and green shirts were much different than the whites browns and blacks she had always worn.

"Right." Theon said, the awkward energy between them growing. "I just. . . I wanted to talk to you about something." His voice lowered even though there was no one around.

"What?" She asked harshly.

Theon took a small step closer to her so he could be heard. "In the library."

"What about it?"

"You. . ." Theon paused for a moment. "You weren't crying because of what you read, you were crying because you _couldn't_ read it could you?" Theon asked, she turned on him eyes shiny but dry and glaring at him. "When I saw you in your room, you were going to write a letter, but you couldn't." There was no accusing tone to him, he was not making fun of her or attempting to embarrass her. "You can't read or write can you?"

Her jaw tightened. "I did know how." She said. "But it's been a long time."

"You never practiced?"

"There isn't much need for scribes or poets on the seas I'm afraid. I tried to once, I stole some ink and paper and tried to write to my parents with my finger. The men found it and told me that if anyone found out I could read and write then they would sell me. Commoners with education are worth more." She took a seat on the fence. "It was the last time I ever signed my name."

"How old were you?"

"Eight."

Theon had known about the horrors that happened in the world, but in the north, a captive it was easy to feel sheltered and to forget about all the negative in the world. Kaia had experienced everything horrible and very little grand and happy. When she arrived he saw her as nothing but a scoudrel, a street rat. Once he learned who she was he saw her as a prize, someone worth something but he had not truly seen who she was until that moment. He had not come to understand the true nature of the life she lived until that moment. He didn't know why it took her admitting that she forgot how to read and right for him to fully comprehend the terror of her life.

She hadn't been allowed to speak her name, she hadn't been provided the safety of a guard, she had everything about he stripped away, so much so that she had forgotten something that should have been second nature. It was like learning how to braid hair, something that should have been natural and sec on nature no matter how long it had been, but she had been stripped of her identity that she had forgotten how.

"I can teach you.' Theon blurted out.

She looked at him. "What?"

Rubbing the back of his neck Theon tried not to look embarrassed. "I mean, I can help you relearn." When she scoffed at him his eyes narrowed. "I'm being serious."

"Why would I want your help?"

"Because I am the only one who knows. You didn't go to Lord Stark or Robb or Jon when you discovered that you couldn't anymore, and I assume you did not have any intentions to do so in the future."

"You are correct."

"Then I'll teach you."

"And what do you want in return?"

Theon was hurt by her words but he smirked anyways. "Nothing."

She seemed to consider his offer, he could see the eagerness in her eyes, the desperation to learn again but she shook her head. "There would be too many rumours."

"Rumours?"

"Think Theon, you spend all your free time in brothels, and suddenly you are spending it in my chambers, or with me in the library, no one knowing why we are spending so much time together. People would talk."

"Let them."

"Theon the only reputation I have is that of a seven year old's. The only person they remember is a seven year old, image the horror to everyone when they discover that not only am I not dead, not only am I no longer the pure innocent child, but they believe that I am bedding Theon Greyjoy it would be more scandalous than if I had never been taken." She was right, and Theon knew it. She was a lady, and despite being sold as a child it would be difficult for everyone to dismiss the events she had experienced. No Lord would want her because she was no longer innocent, she would not be a sought out prize, and she would be looked down upon. The only person they remembered was a small happy loveable child, they would not know the real her, they would base every action she made based on who she was and not who she is.

"We can tell them I am teaching you history, the history you missed and were not apart of while you were away."

"They would suspect me to go to a maester for that."

"Then I will tell them that I offered and in return you agreed to tell me stories and battle plans of my uncle. We will have servants enter the room throughout our time together so they will gossip only of us sitting at a table. They will believe we are becoming close but that will be as far as the rumours spread."

He was trying to apologize. She could hear it in his tone, Theon would not lose his dignity by admitting to her that he was sorry, his actions had to do the job for him. He was trying to show he how sorry he was and this was the only way he knew how to do it. She was willing to let him.

"Alright."


	7. Chapter 7

The reading lessons started slow but over the next few weeks Theon was sure that Kaia would not need his help anymore and she would soon be at the level she should have been at as a lady.

Her writing was sloppy and slanted but it was readable, her reading came easier than her writing, she had forgotten how to spell most words and the comfortable way to hold the quill but she was doing well. He doubted that anyone would question her about her writing but it was something that she was determined to learn and it was important to her, therefore he made sure it was important to him.

He wasn't the best teacher, she had told him that plenty of times, he was frustrated and easily annoyed but he did his best to be patient and she was thankful for it. Theon had enjoyed the time they spent together in her chambers, once she had started to get better they had spent more time talking and laughing than studying. She did in fact end up telling him stories and his lie was no longer a lie, she told him the humorous and light hearted things about her life as a captive.

She had told him about a young boy she had tricked into believing all of his cows had disappeared, and about a man that had been cheating on his wife so she humiliated him by having him chase her naked through the town or about the criminals in the stocks that she had relieved of their clothing. Theon had never laughed so much in his life at the stories she told him but he knew that there were darker stories and many of them that outweighed the joyous ones.

She seemed unbothered by them but he did notice the far away look she got sometimes as she remembered something or the pain in her eyes when Theon mentioned something particular but their time together was something that he was craving more and more of as time went on and he looked forward to their nightly reading lessons.

Theon was happy.

They seemed to have some kind of friendship and both Kaia and Theon were happy to be in each others company. Kaia was still not allowed to leave the grounds of Winterfell but she was healing well and soon they would need a new reason for why the girl was staying in the castle.

Robb, Theon and Jon were out on the grounds together swords in their hands when Kaia came along a small hatchet in her hands.

"Who gave you—" Jon started.

"I asked Roarke to make it." She explained simply. "Swords are fine weapons but I was always best with a hatchet or ax. . .or even a trident."

"And what do you plan on doing with it?" Robb asked her.

She smiled. "Have you ever fought a woman?"

"I don't plan on starting." Robb said back to her. "You're injured."

"Which should give you a fair chance against me." His hesitant look had her dropping her playful tone. "I need to train."

"What for? You're safe here." Jon told her as if he were promising it to her.

"Yes. Here, in Winterfell. The North, where everything is just perfect and simple, where the Starks will never fall. Out there, there are people who do not care your gender nor do they care how fair of a fight it may be."

"Out there." Robb repeated. "You will not be going _out there _any time soon, my father has commanded you stay in these walls."

Kaia nodded. "For now, and I will obey your father, but when I am back out in the world I need to be able to fight my way through it. There is no guaranteed happy ending for me. I need to train, and I plan on doing it even if it means attacking you." Robb raised an eyebrow but soon raised his sword as Kaia lunged at him, hatchet seining for his face and clanking against his sword.

"Stop!" Robb roared backing away from her sword drawn to protect himself. "Are you mad?"

She came at him again knocking him into the fence behind him. "Come on Stark, you don't want all that training to go to waste do you?" She took a step back, waiting for him to regain his footing.

He looked at Jon and Theon who looked shocked but did nothing to try and stop the fight. When he looked at Kaia she was taunting him, a confident smile on her face and her arms open wide urging him to attack her with whatever he had.

"First to yield." He said sternly and her smile grew.

"No problem."

Ned Stark watched from the balconies as his son threw himself at the girl and their weapons clanked together as they fought. He saw right away that Kaia was teasing him, easily evading his attempts to strike her, Robb was good with a sword and was well trained but Kaia had been in battles. She had fought in true battles to the death and although she did not have the proper training she still fought with a grace that implied she had _some _kind of proper training.

Robb was able to over power her with strength but it didn't seem to matter, as they danced across the grounds gaining a crowd it was obvious who had the upper hand. Kaia's skills were different from

Robb and Theon's and Jon, she fought with an ease and confidence that kept men off balance. She was able to read her challenger well and adjust to their weakness', she fought dirty, like most bandits and pirates did but this wasn't a tournament it was a true fight and the rules didn't matter. She might do some things that would be viewed as cowardice or poor skill but she was still winning because

Robb did not know who to react to the bizarre movements.

"Stop them." Catelyn said coming up behind her husband. "She is going to hurt him."

"Odd that you have no worries about him hurting her." Ned replied not taking his eyes off of the duel. "She's not going to harm him, look at her she is practically laughing at him."

"Our sons are learning to fight for wars, not silly girls who spent their lives fighting commoners."

"And yet she is winning."

"Which is why you are to stop the fight. Do you want your son humiliated?"

"And having his father step in to stop a fight so he is not harmed is not being humiliated?"

Catelyn huffed and walked to the other side of Ned trying to get his attention. "Commoners do not pick up swords and start sparring with knights. She needs to learn her place if she wishes to train she will do so with some dignity and proper skill."

Ned ignored her and continued to watch, almost fascinated by the quick movements Kaia made as she and Robb fought.

Catelyn rolled her eyes and placed a hand on Ned's shoulder looking around to make sure no one was about before lowering her voice. "Everyone will eventually know who she is, a Jasper winning against our son will have us looking like fools Ned." She wasn't wrong, there was some embarrassment to know that a Jasper had beaten you in battle, they never fought in tournaments. They allowed their knights to enter for them and seemed to enjoy losing more than winning. Kaia would be reunited with her family in the future and thus everyone would know that she had been with the Starks and that she had once fought his son and won.

"The Jasper's have never lost a battle." Ned said to her. "There is no shame in losing to one." Even to his own ears it didn't sound true. He knew that there was always shame to losing to the Jasper's no matter how long they held their record.

"The Jasper's are not fighters, _masters of play and players at war." _She snapped quoting their house words. "This is the first time I have ever even seen a Jasper hold a weapon. They watch over the battle field as their soldiers die and never once do anything to help."

"Is there a point you are trying to make?"

"That girl is not a Jasper and she is humiliating our child." Ned knew that Cat did not like Kaia and had had to force her to offer the girl new clothing but he also knew that her reluctance had nothing to do with the girl fighting below them and everything to do with her love of the House.

"A fair fight is not humiliating, she is proving where they need to improve and how to improve." He turned to look at his wife. "I have chosen to believe her, and I have no reason not to until I find a way she can prove if she is who she says she is."

Cat looked back down to where the two children continued to clank their weapons together. "The Jasper's do not fight, they haven't has a battle to fight in years. Why do you think they were trying to gain allies with the Greyjoys? They knew a battle was coming and needed help to fight it, but got lucky when she died and could avoid all battles while in hiding. That girl is not Kaia Jasper." Catelyn promised him. "She can't be, no Jasper has ever needed nor wanted to learn how to fight it's not in their blood."

Eddard's eyes widened for a moment at Catelyn's words, he glanced back down where the fight had finished and Robb lay on his back with an ax under his throat yielding to Kaia.

He didn't answer his wife, her words were echoing in his head and a question entered his mind. Something that might finally help him discover who the girl was.

He rushed past her, ignoring her calls to him. He needed to get to his chambers, he needed to read the Jasper family history one more time.

Kaia reached out a hand to Robb which he took gratefully and was helped to his feet.

"You did better than expected." She told him.

"I could say the same about you." He smiled softly at her as Theon and Jon came to meet them.

"You fight like. . . like a. . ." Jon started.

"Like a pirate." She finished for him.

Jon shook his head. "Improper."

"How many men out there are going to fight you according to your rules? Your fighting has too many rules it makes it easier to read you. Everything so controlled and proper, movements practiced until they are perfect, you are predictable."

Theon handed her a flagon of water to sip from which she took. "Who taught you?" He asked her.

She smiled. "Learning to fight against men who are trying to kill you is the best way to learn." She handed back to water to him. "You'd be surprised how much more skilled you become when your life is truly in danger."

"You fought on the ship?" Theon checked with her and she nodded.

"More so on the ship yes, when you are seven years old and the bandits hand you a sword while under attack for the food you have. . . well you do what you can."

Jon gave her a puzzling look. "How did a seven year old whose favourite past time was being an a stage manage to fight a grown man and not die?"

Kaia smiled at him and shrugged. "Talent."

Ned Stark threw open his chamber doors and rushed into his room and silently cursed himself at the disarray of books and papers he had neglected to keep clean.

He marched to his desk and dug his way through the the mountain of books looking for something he had read a few days ago. He discarded each book one by one dropping them to the floor with an uncaring manner, until he found it.

_Willem Jasper_ great grandfather to Eryk Jasper first of his name and youngest son to Lyle and Ramonae Jasper

_Willem was the youngest in his family with two brothers and two sisters, while the youngest Willem was present and on the battle field of each battle. He did not fight in the battles he remained an observer in a safe and high location to over see the battle. His most remembered battle was that of the battle for the twins, where he commanded all fighting to seise and all knights dropped their weapons to their sides as if overcome by his command. . . . . . .Suddenly the Jasper army attacked the Bolton army seeming to be confused and distracted and slated everyman on the grounds before they had a chance to realize what was happening. . ._

Ned flipped through the pages and then stopped.

_Olivier Jasper _only child to Willem and Pretta Jasper.

_Olivier Jasper best known for his beautiful singing voice and charming smile. Fought many battles from afar and was in charge of every move the Jasper Army made even at the young age of 17. The Jasper army was the weakest it had ever been at the time of his reign over Titan's Bay but his leadership proved superior and his strategy great. . . . . His greatest victory was against the the Greyjoys on the water when the Greyjoy's ships crumbled in the sea after the wind and water took them through a dangerous path that was not meant to be travelled due to shipwrecks and rocks causing the ships to splinter and become damaged and take on water. _

Ned nearly ripped the pages from the books as he looked threw it again.

_Timone Jasper, _Third son of Olivier and Melenia Jasper.

_Although the third child was granted control over the Jasper army and fought many tournaments and battles that he never lost. Timone was held captive for one year when he was 21 years old by Tywin Lannister where he had his arms and legs broken and was rendered immobile in the dungeon until his momentous escape still not understood and not yet confirmed. To be assumed that he acquired help from a maid whom he had promised gold to. Timone Jasper held control over the Jasper army until he died, never handing it over to his son Eryk.. . . . _

_Eryk Jasper. _Eldest and only son to Timone and Lorra Jasper.

_Eryk Jasper. . . . fought no battles. . . . controlled no wars. . . . held control over no army until his father died. . . .seeked alliances with multiple houses. . . . daughter passed. . . . was never heard from again.. . . _

Ned fell back into his chair. It was the only explanation he could think of though as he remembered what Eryk had said that day to his wife. _"And you know what she can do. She is like my father, she will fight_"

_SHE IS LIKE MY FATHER. _

Outside his window he could see the children still standing in the grounds talking and laughing with one another. If she was a Jasper he now knew how to prove it.


	8. Chapter 8

"Why do you do that?" Theon asked Kaia as they sat at the desk in her chambers for another reading lesson.

"What?" She asked.

"Flexing you hands like that." Theon nodded towards her hands which were holding the book she was attempting to read. "Do they hurt?"

She shook her head. "No, I think it's just become a habit."

"Odd habit." He pointed out.

Kaia sighed and placed the book down. "I had my hands broken a few years ago by your uncle." She explained. "They healed but they felt awkward and stiff and I would flex them to try and see if it would

somehow fix the feeling."

"Did it?"

"No, I just got used to the feeling but now I do it because I spent so long doing it."

There was a pause between the two. Theon was contemplating whether it was okay to ask and then decided it was. "Why did he break your hands?"

She hesitated and for a moment Theon felt like a fool for asking. "He uh. . . he was angry, I just happened to be in the room when he was. I made the mistake of holding a knife to him out of fear, threatening your captain isn't the best idea." Thinking there was nothing to say to that Theon kept quiet watching as she picked up the book again. "What's this word?" She asked.

He leaned forward so he could see what she was pointing at. "Dignity."

"I didn't think the word dignity would appear while reading about the Greyjoy's." She joked flipping the page over. Over the past few weeks she had refused the suggestion that they read the books about her family history. He understood, there wasn't much that she didn't already know and her family history seemed to end once she had died and reading about her death would only upset her.

"You know—" Theon was cut off by Ned Stark entering through the open chamber door, he looked as though he were about to command a war, strong and stern.

"Lord Stark." They greeted together standing. Lord Stark barely glanced at Theon.

"Leave us." Despite his aggressive exterior his words were calm and almost gentle.

Theon nodded and took to the door knowing that something must have happened to have Ned Stark close the door.

Once alone Kaia couldn't help but feel awkward in the room with Lord Eddard Stark, there was something wrong, she could feel it.

"What is going on?" She asked. "Has someone found out who I am?"

"No." He answered simply coming closer to her. "No one suspects who you are, there are no rumours and Kaia had become a very common name after your death they believe only what we have told them."

Kaia felt relieved, she was not interested in the scandal of those finding out who she was claiming to be until she could meet with her parents.

"However." Ned moved closer again. "I do need to speak with you." Kaia slowly fell back into her seat her anxiety rising as Ned took a seat next to her. "Do you remember the story of your grandfather

Timone and Tywin Lannister?"

Kaia nodded. "My father enjoyed telling it."

"Tell me what you know of it."

Kaia felt a sweat break out over her body. "Well, Tywin took my grandfather prisoner when he was young and he broke his arms and legs and a few months later my grandfather escaped."

Ned kept his intense gaze on her. "Why did Tywin keep him prisoner?" As he asked the question Kaia knew he knew the answer but needed her to say it.

"He. . . he believed that my grandfather was. . . .possessed." She tried to find the appropriate term but she knew that wasn't what Tywin had claimed. He had claimed that Timone was magic.

"It was the only time Tywin Lannister has ever been humiliated, he spent the rest of his life gaining a reputation for being a serious, cunning, respected and dangerous man but no one forgets the time that he went to the king and claimed that your grandfather could move objects without touching them." He stared at Kaia and she stared straight back. "Everyone laughed at Tywin and he was mocked for _years._"

Kaia swallowed hard. "It was a ridiculous accusation but Tywin was under quite a bit of stress—"

"Your father never took over your army. Not while your grandfather was alive."

Kaia could feel her palms sweating but her stage training as a child and her many lies growing up kept her looking calm and collected. Ned Stark was not accusing her of anything yet. "I apologize that I don't have more knowledge about the battle choices my grandfather chose Lord Stark but I think we can both agree that my father did not have a knack for killing people."

Ned leaned forwards. "Yet your father attempted to create allies with every family in Westeros. House Jasper never required such allies before."

"Again my father was not someone who enjoyed war the more allies you have the less likely for your family to be attacked."

"Your family never worried about this before. For centuries your family won battle after battle. Large, small, significant, insignificant, hopeless. . . you never needed allies to win before. Because your family had something else, something that your father's generation did not."

"What did we have Lord Stark?" It was a challenge, a challenge from a girl that looked more dangerous to him than any army. Her eyes flashed with the defiance of someone who had nothing to lose but the secret they kept, she was not afraid of Lord Stark, she was concerned about what might happen if he said it out loud. Almost like a spell being broken, her safety would be in jeopardy, she would be vulnerable and he saw that she was not going to admit to it and if he told her that he knew then she would simply be out of Winterfell without another thought and he wouldn't be able to stop her.

He didn't want that. No, he was not going to harm Kaia nor would he use her, he wanted only to prove who she was and to keep her safe. Convincing her of such would be difficult.

"It skipped a generation," he started, tone much softer. "thats why your father never fought a battle nor hand control over the army until your grandfather died. Almost every battle had something that could not be explained happen but it was the doing of your ancestors that caused them." She stared at him so he continued. "Your family had children until they discovered one that had the gift. But your

grandmother was unable to have more children after giving birth to your father. He couldn't give up the reigns of the army until your father had a child that could take on the role. And they had you. Your grandfather died when you were five and too young to handle the task of an army. Out of fear of war your father planned to make as many alliances as he could until you came of age."

Kaia remained as nonchalant as she could as Lord Stark told her what he knew and had discovered. She remained still wondering what she would do. Lie? Claim he was insane? Leave?

"Kaia." Lord Stark catching her flexing hands in took her away from her thoughts. "I will not let anyone harm you. I will not let anyone know who you are or what you can do. I promise you but this is the only way we can prove who you are. Tywin wasn't lying when he accused your grandfather of being able to move things without touching them, was he?"

Kaia looked at him, a wall of stone blocking her emotions from being seen. "Your best friend is King Robert Baratheon." She said. "Married to Cersi Lannister, daughter of Tywin Lannister."

"I promise you they will never know, your secret will be secret just as it has been for centuries. I need you to trust me."

Silence.

Kaia pulled her hands from Ned's and looked away from him. "You are just as mad as Tywin Lannister." She said. "My family is simply talented in the art of war. Why is it so difficult for other houses to accept this?" Her voice dripped with anger.

"_Masters of play and players of war_." Ned said catching her attention by speaking her house words. "Players, your family knew they would never lose a battle it was a game to them. A game in which everyone else are the pieces and you were the rule keeper. A game, war is a game to you family because you can cheat."

"Or because we understand war, we are not the fools everyone choses to make us."

Ned stood from his seat. "I am trying to protect you, I need you to prove who you are, this is the only way to do it. And if it's true then you need more than yourself to keep you safe."

"Excuse me?"

"A little girl comes back from the dead to claim her families titles. There will be talk, there will be research, you will be the most studied person in Westeros, if I figured it out then others will too and much worse people than Tywin Lannister will be after you and your family. They'll attack you for the sole purpose to find out if it is true."

"It's not." She snapped back at him.

"But if it is then you will die the moment you arrive back in your home. You need a plan and you need help Kaia." He told her. "I can help you. I want you to go home but I do not want to see a war break out over you."

Kaia looked out the window and wondered how far she would be able to get from Winterfell before her injuries betrayed her. She was able to fight, but the fight with Robb had taken more out of her than she cared to admit. She had not been able to strike him down as she should have been she had to wear him down slowly. It meant that she was too weak and would not ben able to avoid the Stark army if she needed to.

Ned Stark has been nothing but kind to her, her parents had admired him and loved his children as well, if she were to trust someone it would be Lord Eddard Stark arguably the most honourable man in westeros. He did not start wars to gain land or titles, he remained in the north where he could live his days in peace and he did not like the Lannisters.

"I swear by the old Gods and the New that no harm will come to you Kaia. But the only way I can help you is if I know the truth. Your family has protected the secret for years, but there is no one to protect you anymore should someone discover who you are."

An intense moment passed between the two of them as each waited for the other the act, Ned was about to speak again when he saw something he could not understand.

Kaia's hand raised and as it did the jar of ink raised with it but she wasn't holding it. It remained still in the air above the desk, floating gently in the air.

Ned watched in fascination and unbelieving as she moved it through the air, drifting towards him. He reached out to touch it, to make sure it was real, it didn't sway and jolt at his touch like he expected it to, it remained firm in its upright position.

"What did your parents call it?" He asked his voice a whisper. "A gift? A talent? A curse?"

Kaia's hand closed slowly the glass jar shuddered and began to crack before it shattered before Ned's eyes and the ink and shards fell to the ground at his feet.

"A weapon."

Arya had never been so fascinated with someone as she was with Kaia, she had watched as she fought Robb the other day and thought it was the most amazing thing she had ever seen. She had always known that she was not as lady like as Sansa who the role came naturally to, but she had never thought there was another life out there that should could live.

She liked Kaia, she was nice and kind to everyone in the Stark house but her mother had given her and all the other children strict rules to stay away from her.

It was hard considering she lived in the house with them, it wasn't that they were forbidden from talking to Kaia, but their mother wanted them to avoid her as much as possible and not be alone with her.

Arya didn't understand why, her mother couldn't give her a proper reason and it bothered her, which is why she found herself at Kaia's chambers that night.

"Arya?" She asked as she opened the door. Arya had been waiting outside her door for hours waiting for her father to leave and Kaia looked tired from whatever they had been talking about.

"Can I come in?' Kaia hesitated, she had been warned by Lady Stark not to interact with her children but she doubted after the conversation she had with Eddard that it really mattered and she moved aside to let her in.

"What are you doing here?"

Arya looked around the room before taking a seat on her bed. "Can you teach me how to fight?"

Kaia nearly choked on her own saliva at her question. "Um. . . Arya, why—why do you want to learn how to fight?"

"You know how." She said simply.

Kaia sighed. "Well Arya, I didn't have a choice to learn, I was given a sword and left to fight for my life. You have a choice." She told her.

"Exactly, and I choose to learn."

"Arya once you learn. . ." She paused and took a seat next to her lowering her voice. "You learn to fight so you can fight someone Arya, and fighting someone possibly taking their life. . . its not glorious."

"I don't want to learn for glory, I want to learn because I want to protect myself."

"You're eleven and a Lady."

"You're a girl!" she protested.

Kaia slid off the bed and kneeled in front of her, trying to make the young girl understand. "I understand, and I truly believe that every woman should be able to protect themselves—"

"Then teach me!"

"But, I never had someone who could protect me, once I was sold I was alone and once you learn, once you know how to kill someone, there is nothing stopping you from taking their life. I will not be the one responsible for putting you through that."

"So you'd rather I die." She replied showing her age as she pouted and crossed her arms.

"Arya that is not what I want." Kaia promised her. "But I would never have learned if I didn't _have _to. I don't want you to have to."

"But what if I never have the chance to learn and I get hurt?"

Kaia wanted to tell her that her father wouldn't let that happen, that she would never have to be in that situation but she knew she couldn't. People must have thought that about her as a child. Kaia Jasper, her parents would never put her in any danger, she would be the safest child in Westeros and she had been beaten and raped and tormented for years.

It broke her heart to think that Arya might go through and she wanted to believe she never would but after her experiences she also believed that every woman should know how to protect themselves even little it. If a man wanted to kill them he would do it whether they knew how to fight or not, but most women didn't have any kind of fighting chance.

"Your mother-"

"She doesn't have to know!" she pleaded. Catelyn Stark already did not like Kaia and if she found out she was teaching her youngest daughter to fight then she might never like her and that worried her. It was obvious that she was not going to be leaving anytime soon and being on the bad side of the Lady of the house was not a good idea. Arya was safe, as safe as she could be in the north and there was no true hurry for her to learn how to defend herself but she also knew that danger could happen at any moment.

She was about to try a different tactic to convince her when her chamber doors came open and Theon stepped inside. He was confused to see Arya in Kaia's chambers but didn't have time to question it as Arya sprang up and ran out the door.

"Why don't you knock?" Kaia asked standing up.

"Both you and Lord Stark missed supper." He said closing her door. "Did he just leave?"

Kaia nodded. "A few minutes ago."

"What were you talking about."

She had been planning for Theon to ask her, she and talked to Lord Stark for hours coming up with a plan and she was ready to answer him. "Lord Stark has asked me to join his guard."

Theon looked shocked and dismayed at the statement. "What?"

Kaia shrugged. "I'm going to heal Theon, once I do there is no reason for me to be here, he needed a job for me."

"And he put you in his guard?" The idea sounded ridiculous. "Why not in the kitchens?"

"I can't cook." She said simply. "But I can wield a sword."

"His guard?" Theon seemed almost insulted by the idea. Kaia understood, she was a woman and anyone would find the idea insane, she herself thought it was insane, but it was the only option that made sense.

She needed to train, she had made that clear to Lord Stark and he had been hesitant to allow her to train without reason because it bothered Lady Stark so much. She couldn't work as a servant and live in the rooms she had she would have to live in the servants quarters and she needed privacy. Being apart of the guard and being the only woman would allow her to stay in the rooms she already had

because she had different duties than the women, and it would result in them waking each other up and possibly cause problems.

Lord Stark was also happy with the idea that she could teach some more unconventional battle techniques, she had after all seen the world and had fought and trained in many different places, and it

would be a good way for Ned to keep an eye on her. It would also keep her from being found out.

No one was going to believe her abilities unless they saw them or discovered she was Kaia Jasper and did their research like Ned had. But they also would never believe that Kaia was in fact _Kaia Jasper_ if she was in Ned Starks guard. No Jasper would join a guard, no jasper knew how to fight in the eyes of Westeros.

There would be talk, of course there would, word would get out that Ned Stark had a woman in his guard but it was better than the talk of a random woman being a guest in his home for no reason.

It also meant that should they go to war, she would be part of his army. It had been part of the deal, he did not expect her to fight in battle, he would not put her in immediate danger but he did ask that she be with his children, she would be as safe as she could be with them but she would be expected to protect them should they ever be in danger. She hadn't needed to think about agreeing to it.

"You can't be in his guard." Theon said.

"Why not?"

Theon scoffed. "You're a woman!" He lowered his voice and leaned in close to her. "You're a lady."

"I haven't been a Lady in ten years Theon. The skills I acquired are not in sewing and child bearing they are in stealing, fighting, pillaging, and travelling by sea. This is what I know."

"You are not supposed to be fighting in wars."

"Do you see any wars happening? Besides if I need to protect myself then I will be fine Theon."

"You're a woman!" he said again becoming increasingly agitated.

"You said that." She pointed out. "What is your point Theon? I am a woman yes, but I was trained and have fought more battles than you or Robb or Jon."

"Women should not fight!"

"Well I didn't have a choice now did I!?" She demanded finally ending her calm side of the conversation. "Gods Theon how many times do I have to remind you of this? And how many times do you have to remind me of everything I missed? Everything I should have become?"

Theon glared at her. "Until you remember. You are not some savage, you will be married and be a wife and a mother what you do now will determine the rest of your life, and possibly ruin your reputation."

"What reputation?" She asked.

"As a Jasper." He nearly spit the word out as he said it as if it disgusted him.

Kaia took a step forward that menacing glint in her eyes again. "A reputation what you are so concerned with?" She asked. "That a Jasper might not look like such a fool if I am a soldier? I know what you and everyone else thinks of my family Theon but we are not just pretty fools that are easy to marry off. We are much more than you will _ever _know." She pushed past him, too angry to be in the same room as him.

"I am not done speaking with you." Theon snapped following her out the door and into the hallway where servants turned to watch the two argue.

"What are you going to do Theon Greyjoy? Demand I speak with you? Curse and complain until you get your way? Or maybe draw a bow and arrow and hold it to my face until I do as you ask? Well there is one thing that you should know Theon—" She paused seeing the audience they had accumulated, servants who knew they had been caught and pretended to go about their work. Kaia leaned in, whispering so only he could hear. "Jasper's are not afraid of Greyjoy's."

Kaia moved through the hallways with better familiarity, she was annoyed with Theon yet again and it bothered her. She and him had been getting along, she had almost forgotten how arrogant he was until he yet again insulted her and her family.

She was headed for the grounds, she was going to place her anger in a more constructive way. On the ships she had had plenty of people to fight with when she was angry but she knew that costing someone their life here in Winterfell would probably cost her her own. There were no seas to dump a body into, no explanation of jumping overboard to protect her alibi, she needed something that wouldn't die if she struck it.

As she moved through the grounds she didn't sense the bodies following her, anger did that to her it left her distracted and careless in her actions. Being in Winterfell didn't help either, being somewhere safer than the sea was causing her caution to be forgotten.

It wasn't until she felt the hands on her that she realized something dangerous was about to happen to her.

"So this is her? The woman who is going to join our guard?" A high pitched and arrogant voice said as she was pushed to the ground in the stables. The horses had been cleared out and she knew this wasn't some kind of coincidence they had been expecting her to return to the grounds. The fight with Theon meant nothing, she had been training most nights since she came to Winterfell.

Kaia stood hay sticking to her hair and clothing as she drew her daggers. Lord Stark had given them back to her when she agreed to join his guard.

"There's no point in doing that." A voice said behind her, she turned to see a tall and dark haired man with a nose far too large for his face looming in the doorway. "You're outnumbered, and harming one of us will make us angry. You don't want us angry."

Five, there were five of them and she knew she was outnumbered, but remained strong in her stance.

"You wouldn't want to cut up that pretty face of yours." The high pitched voice said. "I told you she was pretty."

"Aye anyone could have seen that." A large burley man with no shirt replied then turning his attention to Kaia. "And they gave you a pretty name to go along with that pretty face didn't they? Kaia?"

She glared at them. "Lord Stark makes me part of the guard and your intelligence brought you to the conclusion to attack me? I saved the life of his children surely my life will be avenged for."

"We have no intention of harming you." The dark haired man said smiling, taking a step further into the room. "I actually think you'll like what we have planned."

"War's can be cold." They all took another step closer. "Lonely, we just wanted to make sure you knew how to. . . handle that."

"Haven't you heard the stories? I do." She sneered at them gripping the knives tighter and trying to think of a way that she wouldn't have to use them nor use her abilities to get out of there unharmed.

"Thought we'd find out for ourselves. Besides seamen don't know how us northerners like it." Kaia wondered for a second that if they knew who she was, would they do the same thing? They knew her story, but they had not known her name, her full name. There was no hiding what had happened to her, there would be too much confusion for her to be able to balance two different stories, the only thing omitted from what these men knew, was her name.

But their issue wasn't with her name, it was the fact that she was a woman. "I guess I'll never know." She said.

"Didn't you hear girl? You're out numbered."

"And you're out witted." As the words left her mouth she let the first dagger fly, it landed in the hand of one of the men whose hand had been resting on the one of the stable doors. He howled in pain, cursing at her as he held his hand in pain and fell to his knees.

They rushed towards her the man with the falsetto voice got to her first, he grasped her arm and the blade went into his forearm and left a long gash as she pulled it out and twisted away from him. She was met with a blade coming towards her, they were not intending to harm her with weapons, only keep her still but the blade came at a speed that she knew would kill her and she dropped to the ground, her back hitting the hard earth and the blade swung and lodged into the wall. She sliced the back of the left ankle of the men wielding the sword and he fell to the ground with her. The man called out in pain and she placed the knife into his open mouth and pressed it against the side of his cheek.

In a moment they all paused, the man below her gurgled and froze in fear at feeling the sharp steel biting into the sensitive flesh. They were friends, these men were friends and she saw that they were not willing to let their friend die for a good fuck.

"Take another step and he dies." She threatened. She saw the fury, they wanted to rape her just to watch her scream. Their friend continued to whimper in the corner and nurse his bleeding hand, he had removed the knife and was now holding his hand to his chest.

There was a creaking as the door to the stables opened and the group turned to see the second youngest Stark standing there.

Kaia's eyes widened as large as his when he saw her. "Bran get out of here!" She urged, not wanting the young boy to see what was happening nor to become part of it.

"Listen to her little Lord." The dark haired man cooed, "We're just training."

Bran's eyes were fixed on the knife in Kaia's hands and she panicked knowing that Bran would think she was either in trouble or attacking this man and run to his father. The men would chase after him, harming a young Lord into silence was better than being killed at the hands of his father.

Kaia lifted her arm, the knife coming with her. "They're right, see?" She shifted, keeping her knee on the mans throat but dropping the knife next to her. "Just some training. Go back to bed Bran." He looked from her to the man holding his hand and the blood that stained the ground in the dim low of the torches.

Then he was gone.

The men groaned in annoyance and went to chase after him. "NO!" Kaia yelled picking up the knife and throwing it into the shoulder of one of the men who fell and knocked over the other.

Something hard knocked into her head and she fell off the man's chest and fell to the ground where her vision was blurring.

She tried to fight back but the dark haired man punching her in the head left her mind swimming and trying to think straight. She reached for anything she could get ahold of which was his fingers and she bent them back as far as she could.

She didn't hear his curse but she did feel him hit her again and she let go. She felt as he hacked at her shirt in an attempt to get it off her.

The dark haired man reached his fingers out pulling on the stitches that had finally begun to help heal her would. The strings ripped from her skin pulling her wound tighter and opening it again.

Kaia cried out in pain and tried to kick the man off her but she could barely see him and the others had come to help hold her arms down.

"I'm going to fuck you bloody." The man hissed in her ear as she continued to squirm.

"Get off me!" She yelled through gritted teeth.

"Get off her!" She knew the voice. "I order you to get off of her now!" The weight was lifted from her chest and her limbs were free. She turned on her stomach and pushed herself up to look at her savour.

Jon stood there with his sword drawn looking more like a Lord than she had seen.

"Like we told the young Stark, we were just sparring is all." A voice said knowing that Bran had been the one to tell him.

"The knife in your back implies otherwise." Jon sneered. "This woman saved all of our lives and you plan to violate her in our home!?"

"She attacked us first my Lord, look at Arnold's hand, she has something to prove she does." Jon looked to Kaia who remained silent not wanting nor needing to defend herself, as Jon looked at the blood trickling from her abdomen and the tattered remains of her clothing.

"You will pay for what you have done." Jon told them. The door opened again and Eddard Stark entered following behind him were seven guards.

"What is the meaning of this?" He demanded taking in the scene, Bran was the last to enter the barn and remained at the back. "You will answer for this crime, have them locked in a cell until I can deal with them." He ordered and the guards wasted no time chaining the five men and hauling them out of the barn.

Ned looked at Kaia. "You need to be looked after. Jon go and find Maester Luwin and have him tend to her injuries, and take Bran with you."

Bran started to protest. "But—"

"Go!"

They were left alone and Kaia did her best to cover herself from Lord Stark as he walked towards her. "I'm sorry." She muttered pressing a ripped piece of cloth to her wound.

"Why?"

"We both knew that not everyone would accept a woman in your guard."

"They would have killed you."

She shook her head. "Killing me was not on their mind."

"Why didn't you—" She stopped him.

"It doesn't work that way Lord Stark. I can't just tear the barn down or throw them against a wall or hit them with something not in my hands."

"You told me—"

"I know what I told you." She hissed at him. "There are reasons my ancestors were never on the battle field. They need to focus, to be at a specific level of health, I am weak right now Lord Stark using my abilities would leave me gasping for breath on this floor if I tried after they hit me in the head."

"So you would allow them to rape you." He stated.

Kaia looked away from him fighting the urge to attack him in that moment. "Better that than them discovering what I can do." she looked at him again. "I would have been fine if Bran hadn't come into the room, they would have harmed him Lord Stark so I put my weapon down."

"You need to be kept safe!" He told her. "I will not have you injured on my hands."

"Then your issue is with your guard not me!"

Maester Luwin came through the stable doors to a bag in hand filled with whatever he might need. "My dear." He said as Ned stepped away to let him inspect her wounds.

"A few more days and these would have been ready to come out." He sighed and started cleaning her wounds. Bran walked over slowly and handed his father one of her shirts.

"I have some business to attend to." Ned said directing Bran out of the stables.

"I understand that Lord Stark brought me to you because he wished to speak to you." Kaia nodded. "Having the castle seeing you injured as well might not be a great idea either."

She hissed at the pain as he began to sew her up again. "It wouldn't, but they are bound to see me injured at some point. This won't be the last time."

"And it wasn't the first." She didn't answer as he finished. "Do your best not to have those come undone a few more days and you will be healed well enough to have them come out."

"I could try a little harder to make that happen." She discarded her shirt and put on the one Bran had left for her.

"Shall I escort you back to your chambers?"

"No thank you Maester Luwin, I still have some things to do." He nodded and left her alone. Sighing Kaia looked around the stables, seeing the stains of blood on the ground from the injuries she had both suffered and caused.

She thought about what Lord Stark had said and knew he was upset with her. He didn't understand why she couldn't use her 'weapon' to protect herself but not only was it a bad idea it was also an impossible idea.

He had only scratched the surface of what she was able to do and how she was able to do it. It was part of her, if she was sick or hurt she couldn't perform properly or at all. She hadn't had time nor privacy to practice her talents and it had caused her to be suppressed. She wished she had been able to follow the training plan her grandfather had created for her before he died but she had been sold and they only way she could try and learn how to control herself was when she was in dire need of protection and usually the people who saw it happen didn't live long.

Her hands flexed and she felt herself growing stronger even just standing there now, but she needed to explain to Lord Stark in a better way how her abilities worked. She wasn't afraid of him, he had proven that she could trust him and had no intention of using her.

But still she worried about what might come in the future. The last person who knew what she could do, broke both of her hands.


	9. Chapter 9

_"I could have you killed. I would love to have you killed, your head bobbing in the sea watching your body being eaten." Euron yelled as Kaia stood before him, a table the only thing between them. _

_"Please do." She said to him. _

_"I'd keep your head." He told her leaning on the table. "I'd keep it and put your mouth to use. Have my cock thrust in it every day." _

_"Are you attempting to threaten me Captan Euron? Because I don't believe you are doing it the right way."  
_

_"I own you!" He screeched at her. "I own you, I paid for you, you are mine and you are to do as I say!" _

_"You gave me a fleet to run on my own because I earned the right to do so. You don't have a single man here that can accomplish the things you have asked of me!"  
_

_"But they can follow orders."  
_

_"Children!" She yelled at him. "There were children in that home and I was not going to murder them for your pleasure."  
_

_"I commanded-"  
_

_"You commanded that I come back with gold and I did." Euron's nostrils flared with anger, he had commanded for her to gain the gold, he had implied that he wanted the village burned in the process but she had neglected to follow through with the order, she had left the village alive to go and tell their ruler who had done it and they were chased out by hundreds of men with blades. They had to fall back to the sea like cowards. _

_"I have never given a slave this kind of authority. I knew I shouldn't have done it." He teased her as he picked up a gold paperweight in the shape of a bird and turned away from her. Kaia rolled her eyes at him. "You're too soft."_

_"Then you will not be bothered when I leave." _

_Euron snapped his head around to look at her. "What?" _

_Teeth barred she leaned forward on the desk, her face only a few inches from his. "When we dock, I am leaving." _

_Euron laughed. "You will do nothing of the sort."  
_

_"I command my own fleet, I can abandon it as I please."  
_

_"You seem to have lost your wits as well as your hearing. I. OWN. YOU!" _

_"How how do you plan on keeping me here?" She asked him smirking. "Are you going to keep me here?" The mirror hanging on the wall cracked an fell to the floor and Euron glared at her for a moment before smiling slyly at her. _

_"As a matter of fact, I am.' She didn't have time to react as the golden paperweight came crashing down onto her hand. _

The Arrow flying into the target brought Kaia back from her thoughts. The memory made her hair stand up on end and cause an uneasy feeling in her stomach. She had lied to Theon about the time and origin of her hands being broken but she couldn't tell him the truth, but the lie had her thinking about what had really happened all night.

The sun was rising and she had been feeling her eye swelling for the last few hours and was causing her vision to worsen and her aim to become more difficult to focus on.

"You're talented." She turned to see the young Greyjoy standing behind her.

"Not much to do in captivity aside from steal and practice." She said letting another arrow fly into the target.

"Have you ever had to kill someone?"

She hesitated, bringing the bow back to her cheek. "Yes."

"More than one?"

She let the arrow fly and turned to face him fully. "What do you want Theon? To remind me off the mistakes I have made? To make me seem as a horrid person so the words I said to you become less true?"

"No." He said stepping closer eyeing her bruised and swollen eye. "I heard about what happened. I'm sorry and now I'm trying to get to know you."

"And how many men a woman has killed is always your first priority?"

"I didn't think it appropriate to be asking you your favourite colour, it seems mundane."

"I don't know." She admitted.

"What?"

"I don't know how many men I have killed." She clarified. "I don't know because I never allowed myself to keep track. It could have been three it could have been hundreds I don't know. And I don't wish to

speak of it any more."

"I'm sorry Kaia. I am I don't mean to upset you."

"Yet you do. Why do you want to get to know me all of a sudden? I don't wish to speak to you when you're doing it out of guilt."

"I am doing it because I keep upsetting you and I don't want to do it anymore." He told her truthfully. "I figured I should get to know you before I start judging your family, or you."

"Did Robb tell you that?"

He shrugged. "Maybe, but he is right."

There was a silence as she notched another arrow and let it fly. "Do you remember when we were children?" She asked placing the bow down at her feet. "When my family visited you in the Iron Islands because your father refused to travel the Titans Bay?"

"I do."

"You didn't speak to me, when your father demanded that you bow to me and kiss my hand you retorted that you didn't like girls." Theon vaguely remembered. "Your brothers teased you for days about it, until on the fourth day you marched right up to me and kissed me on the cheek during breakfast in front of everyone."

"I do remember." He chuckled. "I got in a lot of trouble by my father then."

"What happened to the little boy that was too nervous to even say hello to a girl?" Theon was taken aback by the question, she wasn't angry with him, perhaps it was her way of getting to know him as well.

"He grew up." He shrugged.

"He grew upwards." She clarified with him. "Growing up implies that you have become wiser, more mature, responsible, become the person you're meant to be. You haven't done that."

"What?"

"You went from being a young boy who hid behind his mother when I asked you to dance with me, and you turned into an arrogant and temper filled boy who spends his time in brothels." Theon opened his mouth to protest but she continued. "I am not trying to upset you Theon but do you truly believe you have grown to be someone better than you were as a child? One day you are kind the next you are cruel and saying things about my family that you promised you wouldn't anymore. I am tired of fighting with you all the time Theon."

"I am trying to apologize."

"But how sincere is your apology when you continue to say and do the same things. If I hadn't been attacked would you have thought to come and apologize to me?"

Theon sighed. "You're still angry with me."

"I am not angry with you Theon, I am . . .I don't know what I am but I am not willing to continue with wondering when you are going to insult me next."

"I apologize for that, but it is very easy to insult someone who does not live the same way you do."

Kaia raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"What you perceive as normal is not around here, it's not normal for anyone high born. If the roles had been reversed you would feel the same way."

She shifted her weight and picked up the bow again looking down as she spoke. "Well I can't speak for what might have been." She raised her eyes to look at him. "But I am aware of what is expected of a woman and a man in high social standing but I cannot adhere to those requirements I never will be able to."

"And I can respect that."

"Can you?"

Silence stretched out before them again and as the sun rose she knew that the house would be waking up soon and she had duties to attend to now that she had a job to do in Winterfell.

Theon stopped her from walking past him. "I. Am. Sorry." The told her holding onto her arm to keep her from walking away, not in the aggressive way he had done before but instead with a gentle touch. "I know nothing of this world other than that of Pyke and Winterfell, the Greyjoy's and the Starks have been my entire life. I'm asking you to forgive me and give me some time to learn."

Kaia didn't know how long his sincerity and kindness would last. He was a Greyjoy, they take what is there's, they had tempers and angry personalities but if she couldn't look past it then she was no better than him.

She had grown up a specific way but so had he, and it was not fair of her to expect him to change his beliefs in such a short time. He was willing to learn and that was more than she had received from anyone in her life.

"Well." Theon said releasing her arm. "I should get back, and let you attend your first day with the guard." He started on his way past her and towards the castle.

"Theon." She called out to him, he turned to look at her over his shoulder. "My favourite colour, it's grey."

**END OF PART 1**

**Authors note: G'day readers, part one was kind of like a second epilogue to introduce the character part 2 will be apart of this story and the next chapter will be posted soon. **

**I hope you all are enjoying it, please comment, review, follow etc. **

**Have a great day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**ONE YEAR LATER **

"So this is where you like to spend your time?" Theon looked around to find the familiar voice. "Look up." He did and the sight he saw was Kaia, sitting on the roof of the brothel eating an apple and looking down on him as if she found it almost amusing.

"How did you get out of the gates?" He asked.

She smiled and shrugged. "I've been avoiding capture and sneaking around homes and castles for years." She told him. "Winterfell isn't anything difficult to navigate."

"They could have you killed for escaping." She jumped down from the roof to meet him on the ground.

"I never left Winterfell." She said. "Besides, I do believe that it was you that escorted me into town." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Or would you prefer I tell them you left me out on my own to go fuck a whore."

Theon was taken aback by what she said and tried to stammer out a response. "Good then we are in agreement, I never escaped because I had a chaperone and you never went into the brothel because you were with me." She held her hand out to him , nodding to his arm he had yet to offer her. "Shall we?"

Theon glared at her but took her hand and placed it on his arm none the less. "You shouldn't have left the castle." A year had passed since she had arrived in Winterfell and became part of the guard but her agreement with Lord Stark was still in place, she was not supposed to leave the house grounds unless escorted or with another member of the guard. It had less to do with her escaping and running away and had everything to do with her remaining safe, but it was still something that she tried to break as often as she could.

"I was bored." She told him. "You shouldn't be in brothels you know."

"Are you jealous?"

She laughed at him. "No, I'm not jealous I fully believe that if this is what a woman wants to do with her life then who am I to stop them."

"Some don't have a choice."

"Yet you still go in?"

"I don't take women against their will, I am only saying-"

Kaia rolled her eyes at him. "I understand what you're saying Theon, I am only joking with you. Some women have been doing this since they were nine and should I have been sold to a brothel rather than a band of outlaws then I would probably be doing the same. I doubt I would have been able to escape or survive if that was the fate for me." There was a silence that stretched out before them and

Theon was somewhat aggravated, was she trying to upset him? Make him feel guilty? He didn't know. "But your reputation with whores in brothels hardly makes you a sought after match for a Lord's daughter, don't you think?"

"I am heir to the Iron Islands." He said matter of factly.

"And you believe that is enough?" He opened his mouth to defend himself when she continued. "I'm not trying to upset you Theon I am just trying to open your eyes. You're Iron Born yes, you come from a great and wealthy house but no one wants someone who will disrespect their daughter."

Theon didn't answer and the conversation seemed to end there. "No duties today?" Theon asked after a few moments.

"Too many to count." She said. "Lady Stark would have us scrubbing stones if we had time to do it I'm sure, the kings arrival in a few days seemed to have her out of her wits."

Theon nodded to a few commoners who addressed him. "Yet you have time to follow me into town."

"I told you I have a lot of duties didn't I? One of them just happens to make sure you're on good behaviour."

Theon looked at her aghast. "_You're_ watching _me_? Why on earth would she demand that?"

Kaia simply shrugged. "I guess she thinks I'd be the best one to do it seeing as we spend so much time together with reading lessons and all that."

"Keep an eye on me." Theon spat the words out bitterly. It was insulting, he knew Lady Stark didn't particularly like him but it was also no secret that she didn't like Kaia either, she had relaxed a lot over the last six months about Kaia's presence but she was still bitter and rude to her sometimes, why she wanted her to look after him he couldn't understand why unless she was trying to punish Kaia in some sort of way.

Once they were back through the gates she released Theon's arm and started walking beside him. "Wish Robb and Jon good luck for me, tell them that I was also told to tell them that their mother is looking for them."

Theon watched her go and then headed for the stables where he knew Robb and Jon would be.

Kaia slithered through the hallways unnoticed. Over the last few months she came to realize that she no longer was being watched and critiqued by her fellow servants and soldiers, she was just another worker and they had no interest in her anymore.

She was happy for it, she didn't have to be so careful about what she did anymore or was seen doing which is why no one seemed to notice nor care as she slunk down into the crypts.

"You are late." Arya complained as Kaia made her way down torch in hand.

"I am sorry. But your mother doesn't know that I made plans to train you and had me off finding your brothers and Theon."

Last year after she had been attacked in the stables she had promised Arya that she would teach her how to defend herself. She couldn't bare the idea that someone might be able to do the same to her one day, and she wouldn't even have a chance at escaping.

She had refused to teach her how to fight with a sword, every sword was far too heavy for her to lift and she knew that she wouldn't be able to come up with an excuse if she was caught with one. Hatchet and knives had been what she allowed her to attempt to master but only recently had she been allowed to touch them.

For months it had been nothing but hand combat and simple moves that taught her how to escape someones hold and about how to clear her mind, remain calm, and how to use her surroundings to her advantage.

"It's too hard." Arya said as the knife fell from her hand again.

"It's not too hard."

"Yes it is!" She snapped. "You have a sword and I have a dagger."

"A true warrior can defend themselves even without a weapon. Now pick it back up." She did but after a few seconds it was being thrown from her hand again and Kaia knelt down in front of her. "Arya, a person does not need the largest weapon in battle to win. I once saw a man without hands defeat one thousand men. If you can outsmart your enemy you will never be defeated."

Arya sighed. "I want to be as good as you are."

"It takes years but it will come."

"But all you have me doing is escaping and disarming."

Kaia pressed her lips together and stood retrieving the knife for her. "Do you know how you win a fight?"

"By killing you opponent."

Kaia laughed and handed her the knife which she took. "No, by not getting touched, if your opponent or his weapon cannot touch you, then he cannot defeat you. Us women cannot over power a man, but we can use his strength against him, we can outsmart him, wear him out."

Arya had been a quicker learner than Kaia had expected her to be, she was eager to learn and would practice as much as she could. Kaia was happy for the time with the youngest Stark girl, Sansa didn't seem interested in conversation with her which she understood. Her mother did not like her and in turn Sansa was weary of her but there wasn't much for her to discuss with Sansa. Sansa was delicate and beautiful and that was the way Kaia wanted her to be, she didn't want her upset by her stories nor did she want her ever having to suffer what she went through so she kept her distance to keep Sansa comfortable.

Arya was annoyed during the day and seemed to gain joy with the lessons she received from Kaia so she did her best to make herself available to her.

A half hour later and Kaia couldn't spare any more time out of sight. She had too much to do and a short amount of time to do it.

Her and Arya snuck back up and parted ways, she went through her daily activities and duties as quickly as she could when she was told that Lord Stark wished to speak with her.

"Come in Kaia." Eddard said as she stood in his doorway.

"You sent for me Lord Stark."

He waited for the door to close before he began speaking. "In a few days the king will be here, I worry about what that might mean for you here."

Kaia felt her blood run cold, she had been worried about this as well. "Do you wish for me to leave Winterfell while they are here my Lord?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No, they are aware that you are in my guard and have written that they are eager to meet you."

"I met the Lannister's once, when I was two I believe." She told him.

"I don't worry about them recognizing you, I worry about them wanting to take you back to kings landing."

"My Lord?"

Ned sighed and placed the quill he had been writing with down and looked up at her. "There has been talk Kaia, as we suspected but it's been far more positive than I expected." He told her. "They talk of your bravery and your skill and talent."

"The King has a large enough army that he doesn't need me."

"Yes, but he does not have a _female_ guard. The queen seems to be very interested in having you around to protect her daughter Myrcella and possibly her as well. You would not have to leave them alone

when they bathed—"

"But I am your guard." Kaia protested. "I'm tasked with protecting _your _children should battle take place or they leave Winterfell surely they wouldn't take me from you."

"He is the King." Ned said. "I will do my best to avoid this Kaia but I did want you to understand what might be discussed about you."

"Thank you for telling me Lord Stark."

He nodded and paused before he changed the subject. "How has it been going?"

"It's better I suppose." She told him. "As I told you before it would be easier with my grandfather's plan. . . but I am doing better."

"And no one has seen you?"

"I would suspect I would know if someone had." She said. "But I don't even know if the task you have asked is possible Lord Stark."

"Your ancestors could stop entire armies, tear down buildings, destroy ships—"

"Yes but I don't believe any other them had ever tried nor wanted to _move _Winterfell a few feet."

"Just to see if you are able to. We need to test how strong your weapon can get, and it has to be something that people will likely not notice."

"Lord Stark." Kaia asked. "I fear. . . .It's been a year."

Ned knew that her statement had nothing to do with her happiness at Winterfell and everything to do with her worry that she might not ever go back to her family, the unknown and question if he might just be keeping her here.

"I cannot send a letter telling them of your return, if it is intercepted—"

"I understand that you are trying to keep me safe, and I understand why I cannot travel to Titan's Bay and why my being here has to be a secret, but I fear that my family will never open up to the world again unless they know I'm alive."

"Your family didn't go into hiding because they were upset you passed, they were in hiding because without you they couldn't win a battle. They fear war more than anything, and because of it even announcing your return would have them think we are lying and have every other house wanting to see you. . . We are trying but you must be patient."

Reluctantly she nodded and left his chambers disappointment evident on her face. She felt as though she had been patient, she had been with the Starks for a year, a month ago she had been present as

Lord Stark cut the head off of a man, and just yesterday she had broken a mans nose when he tried to take her sword from her hip. This was not the life she wanted nor the life she was meant to be living.

She didn't want any more pain and suffering, giving or receiving.

If she told everyone who she was it would go away, she would no longer have to be apart of the guard and she could possibly go home, but she also knew that Lord Stark was right and that she needed to trust him.

She didn't get down the hallway when he name was being called. "Kaia."

The sound of Catelyn Starks voice put her on edge. "My Lady." She turned around and Cat gestured for her to follow her.

She follows her armour feeling heavier than it ever had before, there was something about Lady Stark that made her feel weaker, less important.

"I assume that you understand your role when the King arrives." Catelyn said as they entered an empty room.

"I do my Lady."

"And what is your duty?"

"To protect—"

"No." It came out harsh and scolding. "No, your _duty_ is be unheard, and unseen. I will not insult the King and Queen with a ruse. A lie. You will be nothing but background, being a _Jasper_ you must understand what that means."

"Background." She repeated, it meant that she was to be present but never truly in focus, she had been told by her mother the importance you placed on the background so it did not draw attention from the main characters in a play. But she had also been taught how if people looked beyond what was in front of them they could find secrets within the background that could predict the story. She neglected the inform Lady Stark of this though.

"Yes, My Lady."

"You will not come to the feast." She told her.

"My Lady, Lord Stark has requested that I protect your children—'

"My _children _will be just fine with another guard. You will not be seen unless necessary, is that understood?"

"Lady Stark. I know you don't believe me, I know that you think I have manipulated Lord Stark and I know that you hate me for it. I am in your home, I shall do as you ask. But I also remind you that I too am a Lady and once I am with my family, deserve to be treated as such."

She was angering her, she knew that but the past year had been nearly impossible to for Kaia to make Lady Stark like her.

Catelyn straightened out her skirts and glared at her. "Yes well, _if _that happens then you are right. But while you are in these walls I would remind _you _that you serve the Starks. You serve me."

"I am not the monster you think I am."

"I don't think you're a monster, I just don't think you are a Jasper." She walked past her in silence and Kaia remained staring at the wall. Anger building within her, she flexed her hands violently and breathed harshly through her nose as she tried to remain calm.

But it built from within her like it always did and she was not able to control it, just like every other time. It built inside her like a branch being bent past its limit until finally it snapped.

She yelled out in frustration and the bureau before her came hurtling towards her and she had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. It crashed against the wall and fell to the floor splintering the wood and cracking it into large pieces.

The noise brought a handmaid running into the room eye wide at the sight of the bureau shattered on the floor and a guard standing in the room.

She didn't need to explain herself, she didn't need a story to explain the broken piece of furniture, she learned a long time ago that if you said nothing, people would come up with an explanation themselves.

"Sorry." Kaia muttered walking past the maid and out the door.


End file.
